


u> 









% km 



<>■> 



? r Q*J. 4> 




Class ._. BPSJoS- 
Book_ .A3 
Cppyright N? _ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



HUJAJ'UL BEHEYYEH 



(THE BEHAI PROOFS) 



r 



BY 



MIRZA-ABUL-FAZL 

Of Gulpaygan, Persia. 



Translated by 

ALI KULI KHAN 



New York: 

THE J. W. PRATT CO., PRINTERS, 

52 to 58 Duanh Street. 

1902. 



■f\ 3 



6" 



THE LIBRARY OF 

CONGRESS, 
Two Comet Received 

OCT, fl§M902 

(J COPYRIGHT ENTRY 

ClASSO^ XXe No. 
COPY B. 



Copyright, 1902, 

by A. P. Barney, 

of Washington, D. C. 



CONTENTS. 






Translator's Preface .... 

Sketch of the Leaders of the Behai Religion 

His Holiness the Great Bab 

His Holiness Beha-Ullah 

His Holiness Abdul-Beha 

Exordium 

First Introduction . 

The Second Introduction 

The Third Introduction 

The Fourth Introduction 

The Fifth Introduction 



PAGE 

5 

22 
26 

45 
109 
120 
123 
141 
159 

228 

287 



Translator's Preface. 

In the Name of our Lord the El-Beha ! 

Praise be unto Thee, O Thou God of the world 
and Creator of nations! Exalted is Thy praise 
and sanctified is Thy name! O Lord! Enable us to 
accomplish our work through Thy mercy, and 
facilitate unto us our affairs! 

Verily, Thou art the Bestower! There is no 
God but Thee, the First and the Last! 



As many thoughtful people of the United States 
of America have expressed their desire to obtain 
information concerning the Behai Religion, and 
since there is no book to be found in Europe or 
America, free from religious prejudice and fanati- 
cism, furnishing full particulars upon this subject; 
I have therefore determined to translate two of 
the writings of the Honorable Mirza-Abul-Fazl 
of Gulpaygan, Persia, which contain the required 
information. By this means, I hope to be of 
service to humanity ; for an exact statement of his- 
torical facts, free from religious and racial bias, is 
bound to be of great service to the world, inas- 
much as it concerns the greatest religious move- 
ment of the age. 

Although the art of translation is one of the 
difficult branches of literature and composition, 
yet, trusting in the Divine Confirmation and 

5 



6 Translator's Preface. 

strengthening of my weak efforts, I hope to bring 
the substance of these two works to the notice 
of the reader, in as close conformity with the 
original sense as my knowledge of English and 
the difficulty of the text permit. 

The first work of the author, following this 
preface, is my translation of a short sketch in 
Persian, of the history and lives of the leaders of 
this Religion. The second is a translation from 
the Arabic, of an introductory work to a forth- 
coming book, which he is writing in compliance 
with the Command of our Master, Abdul-Beha- 
Abbas. The subject of this later work will be 
interpretation of the Holy Books of former re- 
ligions, in order that the principal doctrines, 
proofs and arguments of the Beha'is may be known 
to the world. 

These writings, I have translated in compliance 
with the especial Command of our Lord Abdul- 
Beha. One night, about fourteen months ago, 
while I was in Haifa, and the author at Port Said, 
Our Lord inquired from Ahmad Yazdi (who had 
arrived from Port-Said), concerning the welfare of 
Mirza-Abul-Fazl ; to which he replied that Mirza 
was well and engaged in writing his book. A num- 
ber of American and Paris visitors, who had also 
arrived from Port-Said, were present. Then our 
Beloved Master turned to me, saying: — "Khan: 
you must translate this book into English. God 
will confirm you therein." I bowed to Him and 
said it would be the greatest honor for me to 
comply with His Command. 



Translator's Preface. 7 

In the following I will give a succinct account 
of the life of the author: — 

Mirza-Abul-Fazl was born in 1844, m Gulpay- 
gan, a small Persian town, founded by Humay, 
the daughter of Darius I. The family to which 
his parents belong is one of the most distinguished 
of that city, and, even to the present time, is well- 
known for learning and knowledge. His father, 
Mirza-Reza, was one of the most noted Shi'ite 
doctors of religion in Persia; he died in 1871, 
at the age of seventy. 

In the prime of youth, Mirza-Abul-Fazl trav- 
elled to Isfahan and Irak, with the object of 
perfecting his studies. Even in his boyhood he 
was noted for intelligence, sound memory, and 
diligence in discovering subtle scientific points, 
to such an extent, that these qualities seemed to 
the people supernatural. 

Last spring, in Paris, one of the Persian stu- 
dents, named Nassr-Ullah-Khan, spoke of Haji- 
Mollah-Hassan, a great scientific lecturer of 
Isfahan, who had been one of the pupils of Mirza- 
Abul-Fazl. In the course of conversation, he said 
that when, in 1866, the first edition of the Arabic 
Dictionary, entitled "Firooz-Abadi," one of the 
most authoritative and well-known works, was 
published in Tabriz, Persia, the students of the 
College of Sadr of Isfahan brought a copy of it 
to Mirza-Abul-Fazl for criticism. He, in one 
evening, examined the whole contents of the book, 
about 1,400 pages, and asserted that it contained 
but two words with wrong accentuation. After 



8 Translator's Preface. 

JnnoDDB Jonfooua £ avrg llrw I gniwollol srlj nl 
a long and careful examination fajri ihesileaifiifeip 
schcrlliffOQir I$aBan£iHtrn\Das iounftjsflkttrcttikissrlidfe- 
men£/jji»(%j l^ahe(dutlHn^Jaftep.u)^^i]hffiuFs , ,in.^ 
V($§ti6»tifln^fwBslc0iffl^ct..I guhjsCI to islrl^rifib arfi 

b £$&K&gnhe i taraso tiwerit^ wo oyeagsi <e£> dge;; -M irza~ 1 
Abi»JfEa?irtedirpeBfeft3Brib himself* ifirr&^jbtoirehete 
of r Arabia HfearB^^I-vStidbf isuGrarrnmas-i i^het«y)9CV>> 
Ejtym^o^andi ^(Scmipd^itlon ^ r although", AraMt:" W* 
a, [fpreigaa IfcaaMgua^e * td* ? Persians. In accordance 
with the wishes of his father, he also acquired a 
perfect knowledge of Mohammedan Theology and 
Laws. At the same, time, he studied Mathematics, 
Algebra, i Arithmetic, Geometry,, and Astronomy 
according to the Ptolemian system. He also mas- 
tered the Aristotelian as well as the rational 
Mohammedan philosophy. 

In October, 1873, he left the town of Gulpay- 
gan and went to Teheran, the capital of Persia, 
where he took up his residence. A* short time 
after his arrival, he was appointed the superintend- 
ent and professor of one of the oldest first class 
Arabic Universities of Teheran, named the "School 
of Hakim-Hashem." There, students of different 
sciences gathered around him and attended his 
lectures; -' -.■,■■ 

In 0:875, he- became acquainted with a merchant 
named Aga-Abdul-Kerim of Isfahan, i> an adherent 
of the Beha'i Religion, As this merchant found 
Mirza-Abul-Fazl Sagacious and free from preju- 
dice, he invited him to join his religion. Although 
Aga-Abdul-Kerim had: no schooling, yet he pos- 
sessed a shrewd, acute mind and an excellent 



.social a'-ioialamrr i Ci 

Translator's Preface. 9^ 

Lsnieinro dold/f t ('0'n terfi ni p/iivi! Ilba ,nr//x£>I 

character." He^ arranp^-mtefweWs to^ Mk^a^ 
Abui-Fazl' -witti leafi^ f ^loar^^eacMr^^gufcl¥3^ 
Hi^-tlolin^s'>fheng^t ^ab&o aftft^P^The^ 
Deafned Qne^ (^^Ka^'^'^tM^Ila^^Haji/Malia^-H 
med^srnail^Of' Kkshaiv ^Mled^^teili^ £sadri-'' 
ficed}] >y^^fi^^H^SrAll2» ^TddStanv- antf 
others. They continued the controversy and re- 
ligious and scientific debate during eight months. 
Finally, in September, 1876, after this ample dis- 
cussion and tedious argument, Mirza-Abul-Fazl, 
finding himself unable to refute and resist the 
proofs and demonstrations of the Beha'is," and 
esteeming the evidences of this movement 
stronger than the proofs of other religions, ac- 
knowledged and embraced the truth of the Re- 
ligion of Beha-Ullah, and became a convert to it. 

Among the proofs and evidences which he fre- 
quently related, are the following from his own 
words: — 

"The oppression, deposition and murder of 
Sultan Abdul-Aziz of Turkey, which happened 
approximately in May, 1876; as well as the full 
particulars and details of the Turko-Russian War, 
were explained to us in the early days of October, 
1875, by Haji Mohammed Ismail Zabih, from the 
prophecies of Beha-Ullah. In that meeting, Aga- 
Abdul-Kerim of Isfahan, Aga-Mohammed-Hadi, 
the book-binder, of Isfahan, and Aga-Mirza- 
Ahmad, the braider, of Isfahan, were present. 
Haji Zabih read to us some Tablets, including 
the Tablet of Samandar (the title of Aga-Sheikh- 
Kazem, an old and prominent Behai teacher of 



IO Translator's Preface. 

Kazwin, still living in that city), which contained 
a clear and explicit statement of these events. 
Then I said to Aga-Abdul-Kerim of Isfahan: — 'If 
the deposition of the Sultan and the Turko- 
Russian war take place and come to pass, this 
will be considered a great proof of the truth of 
Beha-Ullah, — greater than the miracles performed 
by former prophets.' " 

Most of the students of Teheran have also heard 
the same subject spoken of by the author. For, 
in those days, the spread of the Religion of Beha- 
Ullah had just begun, and the persecutions, blood- 
shed and pillage inflicted upon the Beha'is were 
so great and violent, that no one dared mention 
their names in Persia, much less to praise them. 
But, as the author was considered a prominent 
man of learning, and had a great following of 
students, he spoke of these events in his lecture 
rooms with astonishment. Moreover, at this 
time, he had not yet become a Behai, nor could 
he or anyone imagine that the Behais would over- 
come him in controversy, and thus change his 
religion. 

Afterward, in 1876, when Mirza-Abul-Fazl ac- 
knowledged the truth of this religion, and, on 
account of the straightforwardness for which he 
was noted, could not conceal his belief, he openly 
propounded proofs and arguments of the truth of 
Behaism, in his lectures to the students. 

Consequently, enemies who were jealous of him, 
always waiting to accomplish his downfall, availed 
themselves of this opportunity to speak of him 



Translator's Preface. IX 

in the presence of the clergy and prominent states- 
men of Teheran. The clergy denounced him, and, 
in December of the same year, he was arrested 
and put in chains by the command of Prince 
Kamran-Mirza, entitled Nayeb-Essultana (Prince 
Regent), the third son of the late Nasser- 
Ed-Din Shah, who was then the governor of 
Teheran, Guilan and Mazanderan. This imprison- 
ment lasted about five months. As a result of 
this imprisonment, he lost all the property which 
he had inherited from his father. At the end of 
five months, he and other Behais imprisoned with 
him on account of their faith, were released, owing 
to the efforts of the late Haji-Mirza-Hussien- 
Khan, entitled Mushire-Dawla, who was then 
Minister of War. Upon his release, the clergy 
of Teheran tried their utmost to persuade him to 
verbally acknowledge Mohammedanism, and not 
to openly uphold the truth of the Behai Religion. 
To this he would not agree, and patiently endured 
the most violent persecutions and afflictions rather 
than accede to the clergy and statesmen. After- 
ward he gained his living by means of his pen, and 
diligently labored in spreading the Behai Re- 
ligion. Finally, in 1300 A. H. (1882 A. D.), came 
a great historical calamity. Large numbers of 
Behais were arrested in various Persian cities, for 
now this religion had become very prevalent 
throughout Persia and the Caucasus. A consid- 
erable number of the nobility, comprising Mo- 
hammedans, Jews, Zoroastrians, Nusseyrites, etc., 
had embraced it with the utmost sincerity, and 



12 Translator's Preface, 

ta Jnanm; 

even; #dih6fc recant' when in danger of their lives. 
Consequently the iisevpMirfvy and hatred flamed 
awew;m the blergyrand statesmen of Teheran, who 
considered themselves defenders of the first-named 
religion. They agreed with the Prince Kamran- 
Mirza to persecute the Beha'is. So they falsely 
accused and calumniated them before the Shah. 
Also in Resht, Isfahan and Mazanderan, most of 
the clergy and statesmen determined to eradicate 
the Beha'is, and arrested a great number. Among 
these was Mirza-Abul-Fazl, who was arrested in 
Teheran, along with a multitude of the Beha'is of 
prominence, merchants, traders, etc. He was 
confined for about one month in the house of the 
Prince, and several controversial meetings and 
debates were held in the presence of the Prince, 
concerning this Religion. 

The opponents of the Beha'is, consisting prin- 
cipally of members of the royal family, religious 
doctors' and statesmen, constantly accused them 
of sedition and plots. Great efforts were made to 
alienate the mind of the Shah from them and to 
persuade him to decree their suppression and 
slaughter. But as they could not be charged with 
any violation of the laws of the Government, the 
Shah became convinced of their innocence, and 
would not consent to sentence them to death, but 
commanded them to be put in chains in the royal 
prison. Thus Mirza-Abul-Fazl and a number of 
the stanch Beha'is were imprisoned in chains and 
fetters for twenty-two months, subject to rigorous 
distress and hardship. During most of this time, 



Translator's Preface. 13 

nobody was allowed to see them. Twenty-four 
of them were, for fourteen days, chained to two 
long, heavy chains in a dark underground dun- 
geon. Mirza-Abul-Fazl relates that for about six 
months they received daily news of the plots and 
intrigues of their enemies, and expected death at 
any moment, having entirely resigned themselves 
to the will of God. 

After the lapse of twenty-two months, the false- 
ness of the accusations of the enemy was proven 
to the Shah, and he commanded that the prisoners 
should be set free. 

Released from this rigorous imprisonment, 
Mirza-Abul-Fazl took up his residence in the vil- 
lage of Gholo-hak, one of the well-known and de- 
lightful summer resorts of Teheran, where he 
remained about seven months, engaged in lectur- 
ing and writing. Again the Prince found excuse 
for his arrest, a third time. He was imprisoned 
for six months in the royal building named Otake- 
Nezam (the military department), whence he was 
released February 5th, 1886. 

The purpose of this brief account of Mirza-Abul- 
Fazl's life and sufferings, is to inform the thought- 
ful people of this country, concerning the strength 
of the faith of the adherents of this religion. The 
full details and circumstances of his experiences 
are far beyond the limits of this short article. 
Some of the learned men of Syria and Egypt have 
written his biography. 

For about thirty years, he has been travelling 
in remote countries. He has journeyed north- 



£ 4 Translators' Preface. 

ward through Persia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Tar- 
tary and Russia, as far as Moscow; eastward as 
far as the confines of China and Kash-Kar; to 
Syria and Egypt ; and at the time of this writing, 
is making a trip through Western Europe and 
America. During his arduous travels, he has 
everywhere secured a good name for himself and 
his countrymen; has consorted with the men of 
learning of different religions, nationalities and 
schools; and has acquired a vast range of knowl- 
edge which it would be impossible to attain with- 
out undertaking extensive and toilsome journeys. 

In 1303 A. H. (1886 A. D.), he received the 
Tablet written by Beha-Ullah in 1300 A. H., in 
which he is commanded to travel for the purpose 
of teaching the Word of God; and during his dis- 
tant journeys, undertaken in compliance with this 
Command, many holy Tablets were revealed in 
praise of his strength and fidelity to the Cause. 

While travelling, he has written numerous 
books, being considered a standard writer in an- 
cient and modern Persian, as well as in Arabic. 
The following statement was made by him in re- 
gard to his writings: — 

"In the early years of my conversion, I refused 
to write books, supposing that in the days in which 
the Supreme Pen was moving, its sound would be 
heard in all regions. Therefore, I reasoned, it 
would be a great presumption for a man to at- 
tempt writing and composition. Finally in 1887, 
when in Azerbeyjan, I was favored with the privi- 



Translator's Preface. 15 

lege of meeting Wargha the Martyr,* and he 
encouraged me to write and compose. He said — 
"During the days when I was at the brilliant city 
of Akka, and attained the honor of meeting the 
Blessed Perfection, the Blessed Tongue repeated 
the Command of the 'First Point/ which was that 
the believers should each one write books demon- 
strating the truth of 'He whom God shall mani- 
fest.' I inquired if He deemed it advisable to 
employ Mirza-Abul-Fazl in this service. Then He 
said: — 'As the 'First Point' has commanded it, 
such persons should employ themselves in writing 
and propounding arguments.' 

"When I heard this statement from his holiness 
Wargha the Martyr, I ventured to undertake writ- 
ing. Other believers from all parts, were urging 
me both verbally and by letters, to write books of 
explanation and proofs. Therefore in 1888, when 
I went to the city of Hamadan, one of the great 
princes there, asked me to work out the date of 
the Manifestation of the Command of God, from 
the Koran. As in those days, the Cause of God 
had penetrated among the Hebrews, and the Jew- 
ish Behais were widely renowned, one of the 
learned Jews of Teheran, by name Dr. Mirza- 
Ayoob, had asked many questions from the Jew- 
ish Behais of Hamadan, and they requested me to 
write answers to them. Consequently I wrote 
a brief treatise in reply to the request of the prince 



♦The account of the Martyrdom of Miraz-Ali-Mohamme.d the poet, 
one of the stanch Behais, with Rouh-Allah his son, is given in the 
"History of this Movement" which follows this preface. "Wargha is 
the title of this martyr, meaning "nightingale" or "dove." 



16 Translator's Preface. 

and the Jewish Behais, which book was entitled 
'Shar'he-Ayate-Mowarrakhe' (an account of the 
texts, giving dates). I furnished therein, an 
interpretation of those verses of the Heavenly 
Books, in the Old and New Testament, the Koran, 
the Zend Avesta of the Parsees, which contain in- 
dications of the date of the Appearance of the 
Cause of God. This treatise was written in Per- 
sian, and many unrevised copies of it are circulated 
in Hamadan, etc. The learned Jews have trans- 
lated into Hebrew that part of it which concerns 
the Jewish, religion, and have spread it throughout 
Persia." 

"A revolt was stirred up against me in Hama- 
dan, through the instigation of the > Clergy. 
I was arrested, confined for five days, and then 
compelled to leave the city; which prevented me 
from revising, the book. However, in the year 
1890, when in Samarkand (Turkistan), I revised 
it, and manuscript copies were sent to different 
parts." 

"In those years, Ostad-Jawan-Mard, the lec- 
turer of the Zoroastrian College of Yezd, wrote a 
petition to the Holy Presence of Beha-Ullah, ask- 
ing various questions. Among other things, he 
asked concerning the genealogy of Beha-Ullah; 
for the Parsees, according to the text of their 
Heavenly Book, except the Greatest Manifesta- 
tion, the Promised Lord, to appear from Persia 
and to be of Zoroastrian descent. In answer to 
this question, Beha-Ullah wrote in a Tablet to 
him, the following passage: — 






Translator's Preface. 1 7 

" 'Abul-Fazl of Gulpaygan (upon him be My 
Beha!) hath written upon this subject, from the 
Heavenly Scriptures, things which are effective in 
guiding capable, prepared souls/ 

"In 1892, this book was sent by Aga-Mirza- 
Abdul-Kerim of Ardebeel, from Askabad to the 
Holy Presence of Abdul-Beha, in compliance with 
His own command. It was approved in the fol- 
lowing Tablet written by His own Blessed 
Hand:— 

" 'The treatise containing proofs, written by the 
pen of that pure soul, was read and noted. We 
opened our mouth to give thanks for the Favors 
of the Threshold of Oneness, Who, through the 
Confirmation of His Kingdom the El-Abha, hath 
caused such souls to arise for the guidance of all 
the religions of the world, so that no one among 
the nations of the world can equal or resist their 
speech, utterance and the strength of their 
argument. We thank Him that He hath caused 
thee to speak His praise, raised thee to explain 
His argument, demonstrate His proofs and evi- 
dences, and to declare His Cause in the Kingdom 
of His Creation! Were people to possess atten- 
tive ears, sound minds, tranquil souls, and pure 
hearts, this (thy) treatise would be sufficient for 
them. Verily, I beseech God to make thee a sign 
of Guidance, a standard of Righteousness, a lamp 
of Knowledge, a dawning-place of Assurance, a 
preparer of the Path, a guide to enable people to 
make straight the road throughout the concourse 
of existence, and a leader of the hosts of Life, in 



l8 Translator's Preface. 

the Kingdom of the visible world. Verily, He is 
the confirmer of whomsoever He willeth ! Verily, 
He is powerful in all things! Upon thee be El- 
Beha !' 'Abdul-Beha- Abbas.' " 

In 1892, Mirza-Abul-Fazl wrote, in Samar- 
kand, the book entitled "FassF Ul-Khetab" (con- 
clusive proof), in answer to questions asked by 
Mirza-Heydar-Ali of Tabriz, one of the learned 
men of Azerbeyjan. This book he wrote in the 
style of the doctors of theology, and in the intro- 
duction is given an account of the controversy in 
Samarkand between himself and Dr. Marcard 
Assadorian, a Protestant teacher, in a meeting held 
by men of learning. In 1898, he wrote the book of 
"El-Farayed" in Persian, in compliance with the 
command of our Lord Abdul-Beha. In this work, 
he answers the objections of Sheikh-Abdus-Salam, 
entitled Sheikh-El-Islam (a Mohammedan pon- 
tiff) of Tiflis. The same year, he wrote the book 
of "Dorar-Ul-Beheyeh" (the brilliant Pearls), in 
Arabic, in answer to Dr. Noor-Edin of India. 

His other epistles and pamphlets, which are 
scattered in all parts, are too numerous for men- 
tion in this article. 

Mirza-Abul-Fazl has a wonderful genius in ex- 
plaining subtle philosophical points, which skill is 
his specialty. He himself thinks that he has re- 
ceived this gift as a fulfillment of the prayer which 
the Blessed Perfection made for him in a Tablet 
written to Haji-Mohammed-Kazen of Isfahan. 
It is as follows: — "I beg of God to enable Fazl 



Translator's Perface. T 9 

(Mirza-Abul-Fazl) to teach His Truth, and to 
unveil that which is hidden and treasured in His 
Knowledge, with wisdom and explanation. Verily 
He is the Mighty, the Bestower!" 

One of the theories originated by Mirza-Abul- 
Fazl, is the "Proof of Stability," in demonstrating 
the Essence of the Self-existent One; as will be 
noticed in this book, by discerning minds. This is 
one of the greatest and clearest logical arguments 
for proving the Divine validity of the religions 
and demonstrating the Essence of the Al- 
mighty. By a single rational proof, it demon- 
strates both the existence of God and the truth of 
the true Prophets. He first propounded this argu- 
ment in the book of "Fassl-ul-Khetab," in 1892, 
and for the second time, in the book of "El- 
Farayed," in 1897. 

He is the first one of the Behais who has demon- 
strated by rational and logical arguments, that 
miracles are not sufficient to prove the truth of the 
Manifestations of God. He is the first one who 
has clearly explained the purpose of what was 
spoken by the Prophets, in the Holy Scriptures, as 
to the "words being sealed," to be opened at the 
"last days." For it is said by Beha-Ullah in the 
Holy Tablets : — "Verily, We have opened the seal 
of the 'sealed Wine.' " He is also the first to ex- 
plain that the great religions of the world which 
have changed and governed the conditions of 
society, are seven in number ; and that the "seven 
heavens" is a term by which the Prophets have 
symbolized the Divine Religions. Before Mirza- 



20 Translator's Preface. 

Abul-Fazl propounded his theory, the point was 
not understood, for this number was not spoken 
of in the Divine Books and Tablets, nor in his- 
torical works; so historians had different views 
upon the subject. Dr. C. Vandyke of America, 
professor in the University of Beyrout, who has 
compiled well-known works, has stated in his 
"Geography," that the principal religions are four 
in number. Nufel George of Tripoli (Syria), who 
is one of the noted men of learning, has counted 
six in his historical work entitled "Soussane-Suley- 
man" (the "Lily of Solomon"). Likewise the 
European writers have each stated a certain num- 
ber which is not sustained by any argument. 

Mirza- Abul-Fazl is the first one who demon- 
strated by rational proofs, why the Pagan religions 
are considered as polytheism, although they owe 
their origin to the Almighty, and acknowledge one 
God. For if by worshipping images, people are to 
be considered as polytheists, the Greek Church and 
Roman Catholics must also be considered such, 
while they are in reality, the "people of the book," 
and believers in Divine Unity and true Religion. 

Mirza-Abul-Fazl has especially asked me to 
translate the following from his own words, in 
which he expresses his gratitude for the assistance 
and help he has received from noble souls: — 

"Although this book has been written in com- 
pliance with the Command of our Lord Abdul- 
Beha, who is the Centre of the Circle of Names, 
the Light shining from the Horizon of Glory and 
Grandeur, and whose Advent has been announced 



Translator's Preface. 21 

in the Books of Prophets and Chosen Ones (Upon 
Him is Glory, Might and Praise!), yet, were it not 
for the untiring efforts of the brilliant Pearl, the 
verdant Leaf, the revered Miss B. (May God in- 
crease her honor and excellence!), not one of the 
pages of my compositions would have been writ- 
ten during this arduous journey. For it is an evi- 
dent fact to the learned, and notably to those who 
are writers, that a man of advanced age, and weak 
constitution, who, in less than one year, has trav- 
elled from Egypt to Syria, thence to Europe and 
America, hurrying from city to city, moving from 
place to place, addressing meetings two or three 
times a week, continually speaking to people of 
different tastes, both ignorant and learned, preju- 
diced and unprejudiced, would not be able to pro- 
duce over two thousand pages upon philosophical 
subjects, — containing explanations of the most in- 
tricate and abstruse points, proofs, arguments, and 
interpretations of Scriptural verses, — were it not 
for the kind efforts and thoughtfulness of such an 
excellent soul. She has taken much trouble and 
labor for the writer, in order that his works may 
be published. 

''Likewise I express my thanks and praise to the 
revered lady Miss R. (Upon her be Beha-Ullah!). 
She also has exercised the utmost effort in helping 
the translation of this book, and has rendered 
every possible help to the translator." 

Verily, God is Powerful in All Things ! 
The Servant of Abdul-Beha, ALI KULI KHAN. 

April, 1902. (Ish'te'a'l Ebn-Kalanter). 



A short historical and biographical 
sketch of the leaders of the Behai 
Religion, written by the Honorable 
Mirza-Abul-Fazl, in answer to the 
request of one of the esteemed 
Doctors of Chicago, December, 
1901. 

In the name of our Lord the El-Beha! 
It is known to men of learning, that down 
to the present year, this new Movement, the light 
of which has penetrated most of the eastern and 
western countries; this religious belief upon which 
depends the reformation of the World and the uni- 
fication of Nations ; according to the testimony of 
the Holy Scriptures, has been founded and upheld 
by three holy persons. As those who have at- 
tempted to write of this Movement, particularly 
the writers of newspapers and magazines, have 
mixed up true and false statements, and have col- 
ored historical facts with personal prejudices, it is 
therefore impossible for readers and students to 
rely upon and profit by their accounts. Even the 
very sources of their records and the obvious con- 
trast between them, bear testimony of their unre- 
liability. It has therefore been deemed necessary 
to depict in these pages, a true, substantial and 
succinct account concerning the birth, fountain- 



Sketch of the Leaders. 23 

source and circumstances of these "Three Lights," 
which cannot be disputed or doubted. With re- 
gard to misrepresentations made by prejudiced 
people concerning certain facts, we leave the ex- 
posure of these to the natural and inevitable laws 
of development and progression; for time and cir- 
cumstances do not permit the writer to enter into 
details of proofs and arguments upon all these 
points. God the Exalted will enable us to accom- 
plish our undertaking. 

We preface the subject by saying that religions 
are distinguished and differentiated from each 
other by three points. First, by the difference of 
founders and institutors. For instance, the re- 
ligions of Zoroaster, Moses, and Mohammed are 
distinguished and r^rned by three different names, 
on account of their being founded by these three 
different personages. 

Second, by the difference of the inspired Books 
of the religions. Thus, the Divine Book of the 
Zoroastrians is the Zend-Avesta, that of the Jews 
is the Old Testament, and that of the Moslems is 
the Koran. 

Third, by the difference of laws, ordinances, 
rites and customs. For instance, as the laws and 
ordinances of the above religions are different from 
each other, therefore they are accounted as three 
religions. In other words, as the devotional acts, 
rites and beliefs of Christianity are different from 
those of the Confucianists ; and as those of the lat- 
ter are different from those of the Brahamans, 
therefore these are considered different religions 



2 4 Sketch of the Leaders. 

and peoples; otherwise they would all be regarded 
as one religion and one people. 

According to this theory, the writer, in his for- 
mer works, has shown that the number of the prin- 
cipal religions of the world, which have effected 
the organization and origin of independent na- 
tions, and changed human society, is seven. He 
has likewise interpreted the "seven heavens' , 
spoken of in Heavenly Books, to be these religions; 
even though they have all emanated from one 
Divine Source, all worship one God, and all seek 
the same attainment of eternal life and salvation. 
This introductory statement will show men of 
learning and sagacity the difference between the 
Behais and Babis, and will enable them to distin- 
guish one from the other. For the founder of the 
Babis was the Great Bab, the "First Point" ; while 
the founder of the Behais was the Blessed Perfec- 
tion, the Greatest Name, Beha-Ullah. The book 
of the Babis is the Beyan, which was revealed by 
the Great Bab in the mountain of Maku; while 
the principal book of the Behais is the "Kitabel- 
Akdas" and Tablets belonging to it, all of which 
were revealed by Beha-Ullah, after declaring His 
Mission, in Adrianople and Akka. Likewise, some 
of the Ordinances of the Bab are rigid and rigor- 
ous, in contrast with the benign ordinances of 
Beha-Ullah, all of which are in conformity with the 
praiseworthy civilization of the present day, suit- 
able for the preservation of human society, and 
adapted to the rights and interests of all the east- 
ern and western nations of the world. But, as His 






Sketch of the Leaders. 25 

Holiness the Great Bab has announced in His 
Books and Epistles, the good tidings of the Mani- 
festation of Beha-Ullah, by the name "He whom 
God shall manifest"; as He has revealed that the 
appearance of Beha-Ullah would be nine years 
after His own advent; as He has fixed the date of 
Beha's declaration and the removal of His own 
religion to be nineteen years subsequent to (the 
Bab's) Advent; as He has made His own ordi- 
nances and laws dependent upon the will of Beha- 
Ullah — Who has the right to change or reform 
them; and as He has used His best efforts and 
endeavors upon all occasions, to deliver the Mes- 
sage of Beha-Ullah; — therefore we people of Beha 
recognize that Brilliant Flame to be the true pre- 
cursor of the Blessed Perfection ; know Him to be 
the Forerunner who prepared the road before the 
Divine Manifestation, and the first one to establish 
this Law of God. 

After this introduction, we now begin to treat 
of the lives of each one of these three above-men- 
tioned Lights; while begging God the Exalted 
for His Confirmation and Assistance. 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 

The Bab's name was Mirza-Ali-Mohammed. He 
was born from a distinguished family of the de- 
scendants of Mohammed, in the first day of the 
Arabic month Mohar'ram 1235 A. H. (Oct. 1819, 
A. D.), in the city of Shiraz, the principal city of 
Fars, situated in the south of Persia. His father's 
name was Seyd-Mohammed-Riza, a merchant of 
woolen goods, in Fars. He died before his son 
Mirza-Ali-Mohammed was weaned. Therefore his 
only child was placed in care of a maternal uncle, 
Haji-Mirza-Seyd-Ali of Shiraz, a man noted for his 
excellent sanctity, virtue and great piety, and who 
exercised utmost care in His development and 
training. 

When the Bab reached the age of seven and 
eight, He was engaged in reading Persian books, 
under a tutor known as Sheikhi-Moallem, a 
learned man. This instruction followed the ordi- 
nary routine of education which the Persian mer- 
chants receive. When He reached maturity, He 
went into trade, in partnership with His maternal 
uncle; and afterward, for business purposes, re- 
sided at Bushire, situated upon the coast of the 
Persian Gulf, with another uncle, Haji-Mirza- 
Seyd-Mohammed. 

From His earliest childhood, the Bab was char- 
acterized with piety and virtue. He was exceed- 
ingly handsome in appearance and of a grave and 

26 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 2 7 

venerable deportment. Furthermore, it is the 
unanimous testimony of both friends and enemies, 
that He was unequalled in beauty, gravity and 
politeness, and that He never failed to observe the 
exact time of prayer, devotion and other religious 
requirements. He was, in the excellence of His 
attributes and good qualities, a complete model of 
human perfection, a standard of refinement and 
elegance. To prove this fact, it is sufficient to 
observe that the Shi'ite historians, who, in fabri- 
cating falsehood and calumnies, especially when 
being supported by the Government and people, 
write the most shameless and scurrilous state- 
ments, have not been able to find any flaw in the 
history of His life. Lacking other material for 
criticism and abuse, these historians have asserted 
that His extravagance and persistence in devo- 
tions and discipline finally led to the confusion of 
His mind, and ended in melancholy hallucination. 
When He reached the age of twenty-four, the 
Bab declared before some of the principal men of 
learning, who were distinguished for virtue and 
devotion, that God the Exalted had elected Him 
to the station of Babhood (doorship). He 
claimed that He had been sent to warn people of 
the approach of the "time of the end" and of the 
coming of the Great Hour ; to announce to them 
the descent of the Spirit of God (Christ), 
spoken of in the Heavenly Books. He read unto 
them a book which God had revealed from His 
mouth. Being cognizant of the fact that He had 
not had any further preparation than the study of 



28 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

the elementary books taught to children in pre- 
liminary schools, these men of learning were 
amazed to find such an extraordinary knowledge 
proceeding from Him, and the majority of them 
believed in the truth of His claim, on account of 
His great piety and integrity. These were His first 
believers and became known later as "the Letters 
of the Living." Each one of these "Letters of the 
Living," in compliance with the Bab's command, 
went to different parts of Persia and Turkey, 
spreading the news of His advent, without men- 
tioning who He was or where He had appeared. 
In the meantime, the Bab set out for a journey to 
Mecca and Arabia. In Mecca, He put forward His 
claim to more than a hundred thousand Mussul- 
mans assembled there at the time of the annual 
pilgrimage. Therefore the news of His appear- 
ance was universally announced, causing a great 
commotion and disturbance in Persia and in Irak- 
Arabi. By the title Bab, the Mussulmans under- 
stood Him to be a representative of their prom- 
ised Mahdi, whose coming had been foretold by 
Mohammed; because the Bab gave people to un- 
derstand in His discourses and other epistles, 
that He was the precursor of another who would 
appear after Him. 

After performing the rites of pilgrimage, com- 
pleting the visit to Mecca and Medina, and fulfill- 
ing religious acts of worship, He returned to His 
native land, and arrived at Bushire. 

As the news of the Bab's appearance became 
widely spread in Shiraz, through the letters for- 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 2 9 

warded by the pilgrims of that city from Mecca 
and Medina, and as the number of His converts 
increased daily through the fervent endeavors of 
"the Letters of the Living," the Shi'ite doc- 
tors, who then exercised great influence, arose 
against Him, and persuaded Hussein-Khan, en- 
titled Nizam'Ud-Dawla, the Governor of Fars, a 
fanatical, tyrannical ruler, exceedingly loyal and 
obedient to them, to undertake the Bab's suppres- 
sion and subjugation. He first sent ten horsemen 
to Bushire to conduct the Bab to Shiraz. They 
met Him midway between Bushire and Shiraz and 
escorted Him thither. When He arrived at Shiraz, 
the Governor called a meeting, to which he in- 
vited the prominent clergy of the city, and also 
summoned the Bab to be present. The Bab de- 
clared His mission openly before all the members 
of the assembly. He claimed that the Lord of the 
Universe had sent His Door (Bab), and had con- 
firmed Him by causing verses to be revealed from 
His pen and tongue; that by this manifest proof 
and weighty miracle, His truth might be proven 
to the people of the world, and they might be 
directed to their destination. No sooner had the 
Mohammedan clergy heard Him mention the word 
"verses," than they could hardly control their feel- 
ings; inasmuch as the founder of their religion 
had said in the Koran, that were all the men and 
genii to unite together, or all the people of the 
world co-operate, they would not be able to 
produce even one chapter like the Koran. Al- 
though the Bab had not studied the Arabic Ian- 



3° His Holiness the Great Bab. 

guage and knew only Persian; and although He 
was neither a scholar nor scientist, yet He wrote 
passages in Arabic, similar to the Koran, in an- 
swer to their scientific and abstruse questions. 
Most of them He wrote in their presence, without 
pause or reflection, not even writing a rough copy 
first, as is customary with men of learning and 
literature. Naturally they were astonished at the 
appearance of such wonders and were unable to 
answer Him. Finally they were reduced to say 
that whosoever, after Mohammed, lays claim to 
any revelation of verses, is an infidel. Conse- 
quently the chief among the Shiraz clergy gave 
verdict that the Bab should be put to death, and 
the Governor of Fars did not refrain from insult- 
ing and striking Him and persecuting His follow- 
ers. Surety having been furnished by His mater- 
nal uncle, Haji-Mirza-Seyd-Ali, the Bab was sent 
to his house, under strict injunction to hold inter- 
course with no one. In obedience to this com- 
mand of the Governor, the Bab secluded Himself 
and did not admit visitors for some time. Not- 
withstanding this, His followers continually in- 
creased in number, and the news of His virtue and 
dignity was disseminated throughout all parts of 
Persia. Meanwhile some of the prominent clergy 
and men of dignity in Persia, acknowledged His 
truth, and endeavored to promulgate His cause. 
Among these were Seyd-Yahya of Darab, the 
eldest son of Seyd Jawad of Kerbela ; and a great 
number in Teheran, including Beha-Ullah. 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 3 1 

Consequently, the clergy of Shiraz again rose in 
uproar and hostility, accusing the followers of the 
Bab of having made political claims, and instigat- 
ing the Governor of Shiraz to murder Him. Then 
the Governor ordered Abdul-Hamid-Khan, the 
High Constable, to surround the house of the Bab 
at midnight, with a number of men, and break 
into the place. The Constable discovered nothing 
indicating conspiracy in the Bab's house; in 
fact found nobody in it except the Bab 
and one of His followers named Seyd- 
Kazim of Zenjan. However, he took the Bab to 
his own house and imprisoned Him there. But at 
this time, cholera was epidemic in Shiraz, which 
compelled the Governor and the majority of the 
chief citizens to flee from the city. Not having 
discovered anything to fear in the Bab, they re- 
leased Him upon condition that' He should leave 
Shiraz, lest His presence might stir up the clergy 
of Fars to make further trouble. 

Consequently, the Bab left the city for Isfahan, 
accompanied by His above-mentioned disciple. In 
Isfahan He resided in the house of the Imam- 
Jom'a (a leading clergy), according to the order of 
Menu-Che'hr-Khan of Georgia, a venerable Chris- 
tian, who was then the Governor of Isfahan. 

Having arrived in the house of Imam Jom'a, 
He had remained there but thirty to forty days, 
when the whole city was in a clamor. Multitudes 
of the prominent students and traders, as well as 
the general public, visited Him every day, and 
most of them were astonished at His piety, gravity 



3 2 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

and excellence. They were led to confess the full- 
ness of His knowledge and His spiritual power, 
by the prompt way in which He answered the 
questions importunately put to Him by men of 
learning. Therefore the number of His adherents 
grew in the city of Isfahan, which is the residence 
of the prominent clergy and the center of learn- 
ing in Persia. 

One thing which greatly astonished the people, 
was that Menu-Che'hr-Khan, the Christian Gover- 
nor, who was one of the great statesmen of Persia 
and renowned for his discernment and intelligence, 
openly acknowledged the truth of the Bab's mis- 
sion. Also Mirza-Seyd-Mohammed the Imam- 
Jom'a, entitled "Sultan' Ul-Ulema" (the Sul- 
tan of the Ulema), became devoted to Him. There- 
fore the other Divines and doctors of Isfahan, who 
were the most distinguished in Persia on account 
of their power and influence, made a great uproar 
against the Bab. The Governor, with the object of 
exposing the weakness of the clergy and demon- 
strating the power and virtue of the Bab, gave or- 
ders that all should hold a debate and discussion 
with the Bab, in the presence of himself and the 
Imam-Jom'a. He commanded that the discussion 
should be faithfully reported by secretaries and the 
report sent to the Shah at Teheran, in order that 
the decision might be left in his hands. 

As two of their erudite sages, Aka-Mohammed- 
Mahdi of Calbass, and the eminent Platonist, 
Mirza-Hassan of Noor, had once conferred with 
the Bab, in the presence of the Governor, without 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 33 

being able to discomfit Him, the Divines refused 
this discussion and conference, giving as a pretext 
that it would bring the Mohammedan Law into 
contempt. At the same time, they unanimously- 
determined to put Him to death. 

The Governor, seeing the unanimity of the 
clergy, and fearing that their influence and author- 
ity would cause the Bab's murder, concealed Him 
in his own quarters and gave currency to a report 
that He had been sent to Teheran in compliance 
with the Shah's order ; thus for a time, allaying the 
trouble stirred up by the clergy. 

Meanwhile, Manu-Chehr-Khan died, and Gur- 
guin-Khan, his nephew, who was the Vice-Gover- 
nor of Isfahan, forwarded a petition to Haji-Mirza- 
Akassi, the Prime Minister, informing him of the 
death of the Governor, and of the Bab's conceal- 
ment in the quarters of the government; and ask- 
ing for instructions regarding the latter. Moham- 
med Shah, who was personally of a mystic tend- 
ency and who entertained no real regard for the 
clergy, had also heard from unbiased people, the 
report of the Bab's fame, and of His purity and 
spiritual attraction, and was willing to see Him. 
But the Prime Minister, who had been a tutor and 
teacher of the Shah in his childhood, and for whom 
the Shah entertained a devoted respect, fearing 
lest the interview with the Bab might lessen the 
Shah's respect and esteem for himself, issued a 
strict command to Gurguin-Khan to disguise the 
Bab and send Him in charge of Nusseyri horse- 
men to Teheran. 



34 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

Accordingly Gurguin-Khan sent the Bab to 
Teheran. As the city of Kashan is situated be- 
tween Isfahan and Teheran, the Bab was detained 
three days there, during which many of the clergy 
and merchants of the city believed in Him. 

When he arrived at the last halting-place be- 
fore Teheran, the Prime Minister gave a fresh or- 
der that He should not be brought to Teheran, but 
held in the village of Kalin, until the matter had 
been brought before the Shah's notice. The Bab 
was detained there about twenty days, during 
which he forwarded a letter to the Shah, asking 
for an interview. The Prime Minister prevented 
this, by pointing out that the Shah was upon the 
eve of departure to Herat, to wage war with the 
Afghans and that should the Bab arrive at Tehe- 
ran, the clergy there would stir up a revolt in the 
same manner as the clergy of Isfahan had done. 
He reasoned that it therefore would be advisable 
to place him in the fortress of Maku, at the bor- 
ders of Azerbeyjan, until the Shah should return 
from the conquest of Herat, and look into the 
matter at his leisure. As Mohammed-Shah was 
not informed of the real motive of the Prime Min- 
ister, he approved this view and wrote a respectful 
letter with his own hand, to the following effect : — 

"Since we are at the point of setting off for a 
journey, you will now abide for a while in Maku. 
On our return, we will meet you and the matter 
will be decided/' 

In this letter, he also requested the Bab to pray 
in his behalf. The Bab was consequently sent to 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 35 

Azerbeyjan, escorted by Mohammed-Bey the 
courier, who was a Nusseyrite. Some maintain 
that the reason why the Prime Minister always 
placed the Bab in the charge of Nusseyrite 
mounted guards, was that the latter, not being 
Mussulmans, and knowing nothing of the Koran, 
the Traditions, or of the belief in the appearance 
of the Mahdi and his signs, would not become His 
converts. Notwithstanding all these precautions, 
before they had reached the town of Gazwin, which 
is about 54 miles from Teheran, Mohammed- 
Bey had become one of the Bab's followers. At 
the same time, He (the Bab) made many converts 
in the cities of Gazwin, Abhar and Zinjan, through 
which He passed on His way to Azerbeyjan. Thus 
the fame of His appearance was spread in all the 
provinces of Persia, and every meeting was fired 
with argument and discussion upon this topic. 
When the Bab reached Azerbeyjan, He stayed for 
forty days in the city of Tabriz, but not one of the 
clergy there conferred with Him. He was then sent 
to Maku and put in the charge of Ali-Khan, who 
was the Governor of those districts. Ali-Khan 
showed Him respect on account of His being a de- 
scendant of the Prophet and because of the piety, 
devotion and gravity which were manifest in Him ; 
but in compliance with the order of the Govern- 
ment, he rarely permitted people to converse with 
Him. Meanwhile the Bab's religion spread day by 
day through all parts of Persia, and in every city 
the numbers of His converts were augmented. 
Therefore the clergy of Azerbeyjan, like those of 



36 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

other cities, made a disturbance, and seriously re- 
quested the local Government to punish and re- 
strain the Bab and His followers, and remove Him 
from Maku to a more remote place. The Govern- 
ment in compliance, ordered Him to be removed 
from Maku to Chih-rik, which is one of the distant 
fortresses of Azerbeyjan, where He was in charge 
of Yahya-Khan the Kurd, who exercised the 
greatest care in guarding Him. 

The Crown Prince of Persia, who was after- 
wards entitled Nassir 'Ud-Din Shah, was, at that 
time, the Governor of Azerbeyjan. In order to en- 
quire into the matter and silence the clergy, he 
summoned the Bab back to Tabriz. When He 
reached Tabriz for the second time, the Crown 
Prince called some of the prominent clergy to 
meet the Bab in his presence. A compulsory and 
unjust discussion and dispute took place. This 
discussion is recorded by the historians of each 
side, in a different way ; but from the account given 
by the Bab's opponents, although it is a very inac- 
curate record, it may be easily discovered that the 
purpose of the prominent clergy and learned re- 
ligious doctors of Persia has not been to make a 
thorough enquiry, but only to dispute in a con- 
temptuous manner, and to deride and threaten 
Him. 

After much clamor and outcry, it was decided to 
beat and chastise Him. But the Farrashes of the 
Government refused to carry out this sentence. 
Therefore Mirza-Ali-Askar the Sheikh 'Ul-Islam 
of Tabriz, who was one of the prominent Seyds 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 37 

and doctors, determined to execute this sentence, 
so he brought Him into his own house, and applied 
the rods with his own hands. After this, they sent 
Him for the second time to the fortress of Chihrik ; 
subjected Him to a rigorous incarceration and 
strictly prohibited people from converse with Him. 

In those days, the appearance of the Bab was 
the chief topic discussed throughout Persia and 
Irak-Arabi. Consequently, commotion and clamor 
were continual, and fierce discussions would take 
place between the Moslems and the Bab's fol- 
lowers. For the Moslem clergy do not deal 
gently with one whom they consider to be alien to 
their own religion, no matter who he may be ; nor 
do they converse with him in the spirit of courtesy, 
respect and humanity. Even in the course of con- 
troversy, their words very often are full of con- 
tempt and derision, and are reinforced by curses 
and execrations. 

Finally the Persian clergy unanimously decided 
to eradicate and suppress the Bab and His people. 
Some of the governors in Persia, being tyrants, 
ready to plunder and pillage the inhabitants, 
availed themselves of this decision, and in some 
parts of Persia, they began immediately to murder 
and rob the Babis. They even did not refrain from 
murdering children and women. The local gover- 
nors and even some of the ministers of the State 
assisted the enemies of the Babis with regular 
soldiers, and the political heads joined with the 
civil chiefs in destroying and suppressing these 
people. When the late Mohammed Shah died in 



38 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

1848 A. D., the Crown Prince Nassir 'Ud-Din 
Shah ascended the Throne, September 10th of the 
same year. Mirza Taki-Khan of Farahan, entitled 
Itabaki-A'zm (the greatest tutor), who was 
a blood-thirsty and selfish man, attained the posi- 
tion of Prime Minister ; a function and title which 
embodied the greatest dignity of the Government. 
Meanwhile, war broke out in three different dis- 
tricts of Persia, between the Mussulmans and 
Babis. As the clergy had given the sentence to 
murder and eradicate the Babis, and as some of 
the local governors were seeking to confiscate 
their lives and property, the Babis decided to de- 
fend themselves, and waged a war of defense 
against their oppressors in Neiriz (a district in 
Fars), Zenjan (in Persian Irak), and in the Fort- 
ress Sheikh-Tabarsi in the county of Mazanderan. 
Although the Babi defenders were very few in 
number, yet the *fighting continued a long time, 
and the extraordinary valour of the Babis caused 
their name to be a subject of great awe to the Mo- 
hammedans. Therefore, Mirza-Taki-Khan, owing 
to his lack of administrative capacity, concluded 
that this revolt would be stopped by murdering 
the Bab; so without seeking permission from 
Nassir 'Ud-Din Shah or taking counsel with minis- 
ters, he issued the order for His death, to Hamza- 
Mirza, entitled Hishmat 'Ud-Dawla, the Shah's 



'♦In those days, the Babis fought In defending their lives, according 
to the Laws of Mohammed, in which extremity, He has allowed re- 
ligious war. At that time. Beha-Ullah had not declared Himself, and 
the Book of Akdas, in which He has strictly prohibited warfare, con- 
flict, strife, etc., was not revealed. 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 39 

uncle, who was at that time the ruler of Azer- 
beyjan. The latter, however, refused to execute 
the order, and excused himself by speaking of the 
great virtue and real devotion which he had wit- 
nessed in the Bab. He openly stated in a council 
meeting, that he would prefer to resign his post 
rather than take part in the Bab's murder. He 
also ironically said that he expected that the Per- 
sian Government would commission him to make 
war on one of the great empires, but he never ex- 
pected to be commanded to execute one of the 
descendants of the Prophet, who had not departed 
from any of the legal obligatory ordinances of the 
religion. 

After this refusal on the part of the Governor, 
the Prime Minister issued a second order to his 
own brother, Mirza-Hassan-Khan, Commander-in- 
Chief of the army of Azerbeyjan, directing him to 
execute the Bab. The Bab was again conducted 
to Tabriz, and on the 28th Sha'aban 1266 A. H. 
(July, 1850 A. D.), they suspended Him with one 
of His youthful followers, Aga-Mohammed-Ali, 
who belonged to one of the noble families of Ta- 
briz, against the wall of the old Barrack Square, 
which is now occupied by traders and artisans. At 
first, Sam-Khan the Armenian and an Armenian 
regiment were in charge of this service. When they 
fired their volleys, the bullets severed the ropes, 
without injury to the Bab or to the youth. After 
the smoke cleared away, they saw the young man 
standing, and the Bab talking with His amanuen- 
sis, Aga-Seyd-Hussein, in a cell, close to the same 



4o His Holiness the Great Bab. 

wall. They again suspended the Bab and His com- 
panion from the same wall, and gave orders to fire. 
Sam-Khan the Armenian, this time refused to fire, 
from fright. Another regiment of Azerbeyjan un- 
dertook the execution, and made the Bab and Aga- 
Mohammed-Ali a target for their bullets. This 
time their bodies were riddled, and both of them 
died instantly. Then they removed their bodies 
from the square to the edge of the moat outside 
the city, and engaged a party of sentinels to watch 
them. 

It is a custom of the oriental nations, especially 
in Persia, that when a person is executed by order 
of the Government, his body is exposed for a cer- 
tain time in sight of the public, so that the people 
may be intimidated by the sight, and may avoid 
wrong-doing. 

On the second night, the Babis carried away the 
Bab's body, through the help of the Kalantar 
(Mayor) of Tabriz. They bore it to a silk-tissue 
factory belonging to one of the people of Azer- 
beyjan, where they packed it in a case like a bale 
of goods, and forwarded it to His Holiness Beha- 
Ullah in Teheran. 

Undoubtedly Mirza-Taki-Khan hoped that the 
disturbance would be put down, and that this com- 
munity would be utterly extinguished through the 
execution of the Bab, whom he considered to be 
the source of the power of this religion. He had 
also quenched the fire of battle in a treacherous and 
disgraceful way. For instance, in Mazanduan, al- 
though the number of the Babis did not exceed 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 41 

three or four hundred, this small number defended 
themselves over eleven months against twenty-five 
thousand trained soldiers who were furnished with 
artillery and perfect weapons. They even made 
sorties against their enemies, many times overturn- 
ing their camps and defeating them. Finally, when 
the Persian Commander was unable to subdue the 
Babis, he made a treaty with them, stipulating that 
if they would surrender and cease fighting, he 
would guarantee their protection and send each 
one of them to his respective city. For this little 
Babi army had collected from all parts of the coun- 
try; brought together by faith in the Bab. Ac- 
cordingly, the Commander and the Governor took 
an oath to this effect, confirming it by vows plight- 
ed upon the Koran. When the starving Babis 
yielded (none of them having eaten any food for 
several days), they were brought into a place where 
food was prepared. Suddenly, by order of the Gov- 
ernor and General, notwithstanding their oath, the 
army surrounded and slew all of them with bullets 
and swords. The affairs of Zenjan and Neyriz ter- 
minated in a similar manner, and so the flames of 
war were extinguished. But the Babi cause did 
not die away, nor was the fire ignited by the pene- 
tration of the Bab's Word, quenched; and each 
day the number of the Bab's adherents increased. 
Mirza-Taki-Khan was unable to check the move- 
ment, and shortly afterward his tyrannical life 
came to an end. For the statesmen ceased to sup- 
port him because he sought to entirely monopo- 
lize and dictate the affairs of the Government. The 



42 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

young King having become cognizant of his se- 
cret aims, and offended at the failure of his admin- 
istrative policy, finally dismissed him from his 
state positions, and exiled him to the village of 
Feen, situated within three miles distance from 
the city of Kashan. About the third or fourth 
year of the Shah's accession, he was put to death 
in the bath at Feen, by the royal order. 

The Bab wrote many books after He had de- 
clared His mission, including a commentary upon 
the Surat of Joseph in the Koran. This book He 
entitled "Ah'san-Ul-Kassas" (the best of the 
stories). At the request of the famous learned Aga- 
Seyd Yahya of Darab, He also wrote, with the 
most amazing rapidity, a commentary upon the 
Surat of the Koran, called "Kawthar." Likewise, 
without meditation, He wrote, in Isfahan, a com- 
mentary upon the Surat of Wal'Assr, at the re- 
quest of the Sultan 'Ul Ulema; and in answer to 
the wish of Manu-Cheh'r-Khan, the Governor of 
Isfahan, He produced a book proving "The Espe- 
cial Mission." In addition to these, He wrote a 
great many treatises, discourses, prayers, and 
answers to scientific problems, both in Arabic and 
Persian, which He named "The Five Styles" and 
the "Divine Revelation." He silenced and dis- 
comfited the Persian Divines by the swift manner 
in which He wrote and spoke these words. 
They flowed from Him without any reflection, 
and He challenged His antagonists either to pro- 
duce their like or to acknowledge their truth. 
The greatest book of the Bab is the Persian 



His Holiness the Great Bab. 43 

"Beyan," written by Him in the mountain of Maku. 
In it He recorded His new laws and ordinances. 
This book treats of the qualifications of a Promised 
One who should appear, of whom the Bab consid- 
ered himself the Door, and whose name He has 
given as "He whom God shall manifest," stating 
that He himself had arisen to announce His Ap- 
pearance. Following the custom of the Prophets 
and Divine Messengers, the Bab alluded to the 
time of His Manifestation by allegories and sym- 
bols. In arranging the books revealed from His 
blessed pen, the Bab has stated in a special chap- 
ter concerning the subject: — "Blessed is he who 
will gaze upon the arrangement of Beha-Ullah, for, 
verily, He shall inevitably appear." 

In the Beyan, He has changed all the laws and 
rites, and instituted special ordinances for devo- 
tional acts, ceremonies and usages. He changed 
the lunar system formerly held by the Persians, 
into the solar reckoning of the year, which He 
divided into nineteen months of nineteen days, and 
has named each one of the days of the year after 
the names and attributes of God. He also gave 
new names to the days of the week. In writing 
the name of any of His prominent adherents, in 
His Epistles, He would make it conform with the 
numerical value of one of the names of God and 
would write it at the head of the letter. This he 
did without meditation and in an astonishing man- 
ner. For instance, the numerical equivalent of the 
name Rab (Lord) is 202, which corresponds with 
Ali-Mohammed; the name Dayyan (65), with 



44 His Holiness the Great Bab. 

Assad (the name of Mirza-Assadullah of Khoy); 
the name Waheed, with Yahya (Aga-Seyd-Yahya 
of Darab), etc. Therefore He called each one of 
them Ism 'Ullah (the Name of God), and even 
till the present day, this word has remained a title 
of the companions of the Bab. 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

The next Light is Beha-Ullah, son of Mirza- 
Abbas, renowned as Mirza-Bozork of Noor. The 
Nooris are one of the well-known families of 
Mazanderan. During the reigns of Kadjar the 
present Persian Dynasty, the members of this 
family have usually occupied the highest positions 
in the state, such as Prime Minister, Minister, 
Secretary, and other civil and military dignities. 
Even in the present day, most of them are in 
the Government. Some have retired from their 
positions, but their names are enrolled upon the 
financial and military staff. 

Beha-Ullah was born in Teheran, on the 2nd 
day of the month Moharram 1233 A. H. (Nov. 
181 7 A. D.). When He reached the age of eight 
and nine years, the marks of great distinction and 
sagacity were already manifest in Him. He was not 
instructed nor taught by anybody. Apparently He 
had acquired the elements of Persian reading and 
writing from His father and other near kinsmen. 
In His youth, His father, who was one of the min- 
isters of the state, died, and the charge of His 
brothers and sisters, who were all younger than 
Himself, fell upon Him. He did not care to enter 
any of the Government services, but provided sus- 
tenance for the whole family through the manage- 
ment of His inherited lands and properties. When 
the Bab appeared in Shiraz, Beha-Ullah, who was 

45 



46 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

about twenty-seven years of age, publicly accepted 
His claim, and endeavored to the utmost to pro- 
mote the word of the Bab both in Teheran and 
Mazanderan, especially among the principal 
clergy. He spent some time at Noor, the home of 
the Noori family, furthering the advance of the 
Religion, and while there, had remarkable discus- 
sions with the religious doctors, so that the re- 
nown of His knowledge and the power of His rea- 
soning raised an excitement among the leading 
men of those districts. By this, many were led to 
embrace the Religion, while others were stirred to 
jealousy and insolence. 

After He had resided and travelled in the dif- 
ferent districts of Mazanderan, He returned to 
Teheran, where He continued to spread the prin- 
ciples of the religion and spiritual teachings, sup- 
porting and encouraging the Babis, until the 
attempt against the life of Nasser Ud-Din Shah 
happened. The substance of this event is as fol- 
lows : — A young man of Tabriz, Mohammed Sadek 
by name, who was a servant of one of the promi- 
nent Babis, and devotedly attached to his master, 
became depressed and bereft of reason on account 
of the martyrdom of the latter. Having made up 
his mind to blood-revenge, he divulged this secret 
to one of his confidential friends whom he knew to 
be one of the stanch believers in the Bab. These 
two went to Teheran, concealing their inten- 
tion from all their friends and even from the Babis. 
As the Shah was out of the city, sojourning among 
his country resorts at Shamiran, they directed 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 47 

their steps toward the village of Niavaran. On 
Sunday, 15th August, 1852 (1268 A.H.), they were 
in the vicinity of the village, near the Royal Palace, 
with the intention of carrying out their plot. When 
the Shah went out to ride, Mohammed Sadek ad- 
vanced, and fired a pistol at him. The shot missed 
its mark, as the horse bolted, and the Shah being 
much agitated, fell off his horse and fainted. The 
attendants rushed forth, picked up the Shah, and 
slew Mohammed Sadek on the spot. As he was 
killed instantly, he could not be questioned as to 
what led him to commit this abominable act, and 
as to who had been his associate. But as he had 
been a servant of one of the prominent Babis, that 
community was unjustly accused of the deed, and 
notwithstanding they knew nothing whatever of 
this plot, they were arrested and fell victims to the 
wrath of the revengeful Shah. Eighty of them 
were seized in Teheran, and given up separately to 
a different class of people to be executed. The 
administrators deemed it advisable to have each 
one of these victims murdered by one section of 
the citizens, and thus sow hatred and enmity be- 
tween the different classes of Shi'ites and the Babis. 
By this means they sought to prevent the spread 
of the Bab's religion. Consequently they distrib- 
uted the helpless Babis to various parties of people; 
one to the book-keepers, one to the soldiers, one 
to the learned doctors, one to the merchants, car- 
penters, blacksmiths, drapers; even the shoema- 
kers, cobblers, rice merchants, etc. Each one of 
these classes slew its victim as thev chose. Some 



48 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

were cut lengthwise alive; some blown from mor- 
tars, and some chopped into pieces. The Kadjar 
youths of Astrabad, in order to try the strength of 
their arms, cut their unfortunate captives into 
halves with their swords. Among them, one who 
died in an incredibly horrible manner, was Suley- 
man-Khan the son of Yaha-Khan of Tabriz, who 
was a most devoted follower of the Bab. When the 
order was issued for his execution, they first 
stripped him, and made holes in his body with 
knives. In these holes they placed lighted wax- 
candles, put a halter through his nose and paraded 
him around the markets of Teheran. When a can- 
dle burned down to his flesh and was consumed, 
they would put another one in its place. Bystand- 
ers were watching the scene and following in great 
crowds; while he was silent and patient, not 
evincing the least trace of agitation; nor did he 
groan or plead for mercy, which is the natural 
tendency of man under such circumstances. Nay, 
he expressed great joy and cheerfulness, with a 
shining face, while singing and chanting verses of 
yearning, so that the hard hearts of the bystanders 
were affected with emotion, and all the inhabitants 
of Teheran, both old and young, were astonished. 
Finally, after this torture, they cut him in half 
lengthwise, and hung the two parts upon either 
side of the old city gate of Abdul- Azim. It is said 
that when the matter waxed so frightful, the Imam 
Joma (chief leader of prayer) of Teheran, conferred 
with the Shah and blamed him for these outrages. 
Some state that one of the foreign Ambassadors 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 49 

warned the Shah that should another Babi victim 
show forth such steadfastness at the time of his 
execution, half of the people would embrace Bab- 
ism, after which, checking the matter would be 
extremely difficult. The Shah therefore prohib- 
ited the taking of any action against the Babis 
without investigation ; but since that time, the jus- 
tice awarded to these devoted people has been sim- 
ilar to that given by the Council of the Inquisition 
to the heretics in Rome. In fact, a man's acknowl- 
edgment of Babism, before the Government, was 
considered as confessing the greatest crime, which 
should be punished with death, no matter how high 
a character or what qualifications of virtue and 
sanctity he possessed. Very often the finding of 
a Babi Book in a person's possession, his convers- 
ing or dealing with the Babis, or pleading for one 
accused of Babism, would be considered as a crime 
by the clergy. Many a time, if they found in the 
pocket of an accused one a torn piece of paper 
bearing the words "Allaho Abha" ("God is glori- 
ous"), or the name Beha or Bab, they needed no 
further witness to prove his infidelity. 

One of the men arrested and imprisoned was 
the blessed person of Beha-Ullah. He was in the 
village Afcha, one of the surrounding districts of 
Teheran. When the report of the attempt upon 
the Shah's life came to Him, He, knowing that the 
prominent Babis had no connection with the mat- 
ter, rode forth with perfect composure to Niya- 
varan. Immediately after His arrival, He was ar- 
rested, imprisoned, and chained for about four 



50 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

months in the gaol of Teheran. After a strict ex- 
amination and enquiry, it was finally proven that 
He had no connection whatever with the crimi- 
nals, and that He knew nothing of the matter. The 
Shah therefore ordered that He should depart to 
Irak Arabi, and abide in the holy sanctuaries of 
the Shi'ite Imams (Kerbela, Nejef and Baghdad), 
which are places of exile for the men of distinc- 
tion of Persia. Accordingly, in the year 1269 
A. H. (1852 A. D.), he departed to Irak, escorted 
by some of the delegates of the Persian Govern- 
ment, and took up his residence at Baghdad. 

The majority of the Babis and some others be- 
lieve, that when it was proven that Beha-Ullah did 
not know Mohammed Sadek, the Russian Ambas- 
sador interceded for Him and effected His release. 
They have even recorded that when Beha-Ullah 
set off for Baghdad, accompanied by the horsemen 
of the Government, the Russian Ambassador also 
sent one of his attendants, to guard Him, lest the 
Persian delegates might seek to take His life on 
the way. This does not seem to be a confirmed fact, 
for the Russian Ambassador had only testified to 
the purity of Beha-Ullah's character, and had 
never made any intercession or interference in His 
behalf. But unquestionably, the testimony of the 
Russian Ambassador in praise of Beha-Ullah was 
used by Mirza-Aga-Khan, the Prime Minister, as a 
means to silence the Shah, and persuade him to 
issue the order for the release of Beha-Ullah. The 
real cause of His deliverance was that it was con- 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 5* 

clusively proven to the Shah that Beha had no 
share in the plot against him. 

In these days, the Babis were in a very confused 
and depressed condition. On one hand, the perse- 
cutions inflicted by the clergy and statesmen, and, 
on the other hand, the calumnies invented by peo- 
ple against them, had made them so suspected and 
hated by the people, that most persons refused to 
have any communication with them; nay rather, 
their suppression was considered a religious duty. 
The deeds and actions of most of the Babis were 
considered entirely contrary to the usual customs 
of the public; while the bad management of some 
of their ignorant chiefs caused many evil deeds to 
be attributed to them. If a censurable action was 
committed by one of the Babis, it would be equally 
attributed to all of them, for they had no power to 
defend themselves against the calumny, owing to 
the violent persecutions of their enemies. Thus the 
good were not distinguished from the bad. Since 
the Bab had, in every book, announced the ap- 
proach of the Great Manifestation, a number of 
the Babis, among whom were Seyd-Ala in Irak, 
Haji-Mirza-Musa (the chief custodian of the Holy 
Shrine) in Kome, Haji-Molla Hashem of Nerag in 
Kashan, and Mirza-Assadullah, entitled Day'yan, 
in Azerbeyjan, insolently put forward claims, and 
each gained the allegiance of a certain number of 
Babis, thus subdividing the community into differ- 
ent sects. This division and difference of beliefs 
also gave rise to unseemly acts, and increased the 
accusations against the Babis, causing people to 



5* His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

hate them. The most prominent among these 
claimants, was Mirza-Yahya, whom the Bab, in 
His Tablets, addressed by the title Ismullah 'El- 
Ezel (the name of God, Ezel). Although he 
claimed to be the representative of the Bab, yet in 
his writings, termed "epistles," which were spread 
among his followers, he put forward the most ex- 
alted claims of divinity, and considered his own 
words as Heavenly Revelation. Most of the Babis 
believed in him and recognized him as their aim. 
He frequently travelled in disguise and conceal- 
ment; sometimes in the garb of dervishes, some- 
times in the costume of traders or Arabs. Some 
believe that the appointment of Mirza-Yahya as a 
successor, had been decided between the Bab and 
Beha-Ullah; because, in the beginning of Nasser* 
Ud-Din-Shah's reign, the object of Mirza-Taki- 
Khan was to arrest the original source of this 
movement, and stop the water at the fountain- 
head. Therefore, after consulting together, they 
made Ezel appear as the Bab's successor, through 
Mirza-Abdul-Karim of Kazwin, who was employed 
to manage and forward the Epistles of the Bab. 
In this manner they preserved the Center of the 
Cause, Beha-Ullah, from the interference of Mirza- 
Taki-Khan. 

But according to the author's belief, it was the 
appearance of different claimants from various 
places which kept Him from being recognized as 
the Center of this Community, and protected Him 
from the interference of the Prime Minister; and 






His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 53 

that thus the source of this movement was con- 
cealed. 

To be brief; when Beha-Ullah arrived at Bagh- 
dad, the center of the Irak province, He found the 
Babis in a confused condition. They were a small 
multitude, like sheep without a shepherd, dispir- 
ited, divergent in thoughts and ideas. They had 
no leader to bring them into unity of ideas, no rec- 
ord of good deeds by which they might attract the 
hearts of people, no security or assured safety 
which would enable them to employ themselves in 
earning their living, no organization or numbers 
to silence their enemies, and no money or riches to 
enable them to travel. There was no brilliant 
leader among them, to light their way with a lamp 
of guidance, through their gloomy conditions. No 
rightly directed sympathizer had appeared to bring 
back to the path of peace those wanderers who 
were far from righteousness and salvation. 

To sum up; they found in Beha-Ullah's face 
the Light of Guidance, and read the verses of De- 
liverance from the book of His character; so 
they severed themselves from all and joined 
Him. He determined to elevate their charac- 
ter, reform their deeds, and transform their weak- 
ness into strength and uprightness, through His 
beautiful speech and righteous example. In a 
short time, as a result of His admirable training, 
their weakness changed into power, their inhar- 
mony into unison, their evil habits into good deeds 
and their numbers also largely increased. At the 
same time, their evil repute changed into good 



54 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

report, while the hatred and unsociability of out- 
siders changed into friendship and affection tow- 
ard them. The learned men of Baghdad opened 
their mouths in praising Beha-Ullah, and the 
leaders of that land were persuaded to converse 
with the Babis. But these circumstances produced 
hostility among some of the Babi chiefs, who put 
forward claims of leadership, until their jealousy 
far exceeded the enmity of the outsiders. 

In order to quench this interior fire of dissen- 
sion, Beha-Ullah decided to go into exile. With- 
out having divulged His purpose to friends or 
relations, He departed toward Kurdistan. He re- 
mained for a short while in Suleymaniyye, but for 
the greatest part of the time lived in the moun- 
tains of Sarkalu, in that district. This exile and 
seclusion lasted nearly two years. Finally, after 
great search, some of His principal companions 
ascertained the place of His retirement. Hav- 
ing reasoned that a continuance of His separation 
from them would result in dispersion and disinte- 
gration of their number and reduce their power to 
weakness, they hastened to Him and succeeded in 
gaining His consent to return with them. On His 
arrival at Baghdad, the hearts which were restless 
in His absence became tranquilized, and the pow- 
er and penetration of His Word became more mani- 
fest. From all parts of Persia and Arabia people 
sought His Presence, and were benefited by the 
copious shower of His Utterances. Then, return- 
ing to their countries, they brought other souls to 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 55 

acknowledge Him, and greatly exerted themselves 
to promote His Cause. 

In a short time, the number of His followers was 
greatly multiplied, and all hearts were rilled with 
respect for them, until their fame became widely 
spoken by other nations, and the record of their 
lives and circumstances was considered important 
by writers and historians. Now the jealousy and 
hostility of the clergy of Irak began to be aroused. 
The cities of Kerbela, Nejef, Kazemeyeh, and 
Samereh, the most famous in Irak, are the im- 
portant centers of the Shi'ite sect. Here the tombs 
of most of the twelve Imams, who are the leaders 
and examples of the Shi'ites, are located. Each 
year, vast numbers wend in pilgrimages to these 
sanctuaries, from Persia, India, Yemen, and other 
countries. Moreover, these cities are the head- 
quarters of learning, centers whence the Persian 
divines secure their certificates of religious law. 
Therefore the prominent Shi'ite doctors reside at 
Kerbela and Nejef; men celebrated for their in- 
fluence and prominence in public esteem among 
the Shi'ites in general, and respected by them in 
all parts of the world. 

When the doctors of Irak realized the effective- 
ness of the word of the Babis, and especially the 
influence of Beha-Ullah, they assembled together 
under the leadership of Sheikh- Abdul-Hussein the 
Mujtahid, and determined to suppress them. But 
the most distinguished and respected divine, 
Sheikh-Murtaza Ansari refused to ally himself 
with their plan and withdrew from their 



5* His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

party.* Finally they appointed one of the doctors, 
and sent him as an envoy to Beha-Ullah. When 
this envoy returned from Baghdad, a manifest 
emotion was visible in him, for his heart was filled 
with respect and reverence toward Beha-Ullah 
and His Cause. 

Briefly, he reoorted to the doctors that the truth 
concerning Beha-Ullah and His community was 
exactly contrary to what they had imagined or 
believed; and that He was a veritable sea, bound- 
less and overflowing with knowledge. He also 
stated that Beha-Ullah was ready to confer at any 
time with the divines and the public, in order to 
elucidate and demonstrate the truth of His teach- 
ing, furnishing them decisive proofs and solid 
arguments. If the erudite doctors were not satis- 
fied with mere scientific controversy, seeking 
heavenly proofs and a Divine Sign, He was ready 
to furnish, on this appointed occasion, whatever 
the doctors should unanimously desire; and thus 
to end the matter. 

The doctors fled from His challenge, and 
shunned this proof, for their purpose was not to 
discover the reality of the fact, and distinguish 
truth from falsehood, but to threaten and abase 
the Babis, and thus prevent the propagation of 
their religion. Through the report of this deputa- 
tion, however, their aim was frustrated, and the 
majority among them were disappointed. There- 
fore the reverend doctors occupied themselves in 
hatching a new plot and sought the help of ad- 

•A fuller account of this meeting is given later in the book. 



His Holiness Bena-Ullan. 57 

ministrative officials. So they opened communica- 
tion and correspondence with the Ambassador re- 
siding at Constantinople and with the statesmen 
at Teheran, until finally, at the request of the Per- 
sian Government, an order was issued from the 
Turkish Government, summoning Beha-Ullah to 
Constantinople, and the Governor of Baghdad 
forwarded the order to Beha-Ullah. 

In compliance with this order, Beha-Ullah left 
Baghdad on the evening of a day in April, 1862 
A. D. (2nd of the month Zul-Ka'da, 1279 A. H.), 
and remained for twelve days at the garden of 
Najib Pasha, the former Governor of Irak. This 
period of "twelve days" is regarded by the Behais 
as the "Most Great Feast," and considered as the 
days of the Manifestation of Beha-Ullah. It is 
said that during these days, Beha-Ullah declared 
His Mission before His notable followers, strictly 
commanding and exhorting them to be patient, 
self-restrained, steadfast, forbearing, striving to 
beautify their characters and reform their mor- 
als. He assured them that if they continued to 
practise these virtues, they would be assisted by 
the Divine Confirmation. After the lapse of the 
twelve days, He departed for Constantinople via 
Mosul, accompanied by some of His servants and 
followers. Ezel, who had travelled in disguise 
with a band of Bedouin Arabs, joined Him at 
Mosul. From here they went on to Constanti- 
nople via Samsoon, and resided at the quarters ap- 
pointed for them by the Turkish officials. After a 
few days they were moved to another abode, 



5* His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

where they stayed four months. During His resi- 
dence there, Beha-Ullah did not pay a visit to the 
Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister, 
and asked no assistance or protection from the 
civil and administrative chiefs. The Persian Am- 
bassador utilized this to poison the minds of the 
Turkish statesmen against Him, and make false 
accusations. Shortly afterward, an order was is- 
sued by the Turkish Government, that Beha- 
Ullah and His followers should reside at Adrian- 
ople, one of the Turkish cities most remote from 
Persia. They remained in Adrianople about five 
years. 

While in Adrianople, His mission obtained great 
celebrity and His Message was widely spread. The 
majority of the Babis acknowledged Him and be- 
came known as Beha'is. Consequently the fire of 
jealousy against Beha-Ullah flamed in the hearts 
of the Shi'ites and the remaining Babis. The lead- 
ing followers of Ezel agreed with the chief Shi'ites 
to antagonize the Behais, and prejudiced the high 
officials of Turkey against this community by all 
kinds of plots and intrigues. Finally, one day, the 
soldiers, acting under orders of the Porte, besieged 
the house of Beha-Ullah, preventing everybody 
from entrance or exit. It is said that the Beha'i 
Household was without water for drinking and 
other requirements three days. Some supposed 
that an order had been issued from the Porte to 
destroy all of them. As the inhabitants of Adrian- 
ople, both Christians and Mussulmans, had wit- 
nessed for five years the excellence, greatness and 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 59 

compassion of Beha-Ullah, crowds of them gath- 
ered around the house, weeping loudly. The 
Christians, in whom the fire of sympathy had been 
especially enkindled, wept more bitterly than the 
rest. One of the confirmed facts is that during this 
period, Beha-Ullah clearly foretold to Omar-Aga, 
one of those who were commanded to banish Him, 
the future events of the Ottoman Government, 
such as the deposition of the late Sultan Abdul- 
Aziz, and the subsequent revolt. He has clearly 
named in numerous Tablets, the particulars of 
these events, such as the Tablet of K. Z., addressed 
to Sheikh Kazem Samandar of Kazwin.* 

Then, in accordance with the command of Sultan- 
Abdul-Aziz, an order was issued by the Ottoman 
Prime Minister, banishing Beha-Ullah, His 
Household and some of His followers and ser- 
vants, to the city of Akka in Syria; a city well- 
known in those days, for its evil climate, and a 
place of exile for the suspects of the Government. 
Accordingly they left Adrianople on the 20th of 
Rabi 'Us-Sani 1285 A. H. (Aug. 1868 A. D.), and 
arrived at Akka on the twelfth Jamadi-Ul-Ula 
(Sept.) of the same year. The Beha'is believe that 
this banishment fulfilled the Divine prophecies in 
connection with the Holy Land. The glad tidings 
given by the Israelitish Prophets concerning the 
Manifestation of the Glorious Lord, was thereby 
realized, and the time had come for the promised 
emancipation of the children of Abraham from 
their long degradation and violent shame. 



•These Tablets were written in Adrianople in 1863, about eight years 
before the prophecies made in them were fulfilled. 



6o His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

When Beha-Ullah and His followers arrived at 
Akka, they first resided for about two years, at 
the military barrack, which is a fortress built of 
rocks. They afterward dwelt in houses situated 
within the city. 

The fortified city of Akka is so ancient t that the 
"Crusades," which lasted two hundred years, are 
but modern events in connection with its history. 
The stones scattered round about it are as the 
dust of woeful calamities, which the hand of time 
has strewed over the heads of unfortunate victims ; 
its turbid water like the blood of humanity poured 
by Fate into the cup of the affliction of its inhabi- 
tants. 

In the year 13 12 A. H. (1894 A. D.), when the 
author resided in that district, he was accustomed 
to walk for recreation in the plains of Akka, which, 
in the spring time, are filled with flowers and myr- 
tles. Looking upon them, the past rose up in 
vivid retrospect. In the red anemones, he saw the 
rosy-cheeked legions who had carpeted the earth 
with their devoted bodies and drenched the soil 
with their life-blood. In the yellow tulips, were 
faces of youthful warriors grown sallow and sickly 
in hardships and long marches over hot, burning 
sands; while the pure, beautiful white flowers 
were the lilies and jasmines of beloved and devoted 
souls who had brightened the earth for a short 
time by their evanescent beauty and purity. Medi- 
tating in this way, he noticed a cave close by the 
Talli-Fakhar (the potter's hill), filled with mould- 
ering bones of the slain which had been thrust into 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 61 

such holes and left there as a warning to posterity. 
As he looked at this grim object-lesson of the past, 
he said, in pensive retrospection: — "O Abul-Fazl! 
these relics which have remained as a memorial of 
bygone peoples, are the best proof of the hardness 
of the hearts and the evil thoughts of former gen- 
erations." "Even those who do not believe in Di- 
vine Revelation and Laws, must testify to the su- 
periority of Beha-Ullah, and to the advantage of 
following His Religion; inasmuch as He has not 
only forbidden warfare, but even prohibited His 
followers from conflict, dispute and assault. He 
has entirely abolished bloodshed from religion. 
He has called the world one native-land, and all 
the people thereof, leaves of one tree, so that the 
fanaticism of the ignorant may be blotted from 
memories, and the hostility resulting from differ- 
ence of races may be removed from minds. 
Henceforth the people may not use the Divine Re- 
ligions which the Prophets have instituted for uni- 
ty and harmony, as a means for destruction and 
discord, and may not take the holy ordinances en- 
acted for harmony and love, as pretexts for fight- 
ing and bloodshed." 

Absorbed in this reflection, he suddenly realized 
that the dust of jealousy has sown corrupt seeds of 
discord even in this Divine Garden ; and has plant- 
ed the tares of dissension and disunion in the field 
of the Behai union and harmony. Therefore he 
became ashamed, disheartened and sorrowful, but 
soon the verdure of hope grew up from the field of 
desire; for he saw that the Most Great Spirit of 



62 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

God (Christ) has chanted this glorious Melody in 
the texts of the Gospels ; that at the harvest of the 
world, the Divine reaper will gather the tares and 
will burn them in the inextinguishable fire of 
wrath, while the good grain he will gather into 
barns. In other words, the discords created by 
the "violators" (those who violated the Covenant 
of Beha-Ullah, by disobeying the Center of the 
Covenant Abdul-Beha) will be removed through 
the power of the Firm Covenant of God, and the 
darkness of disunion will be dispelled by the rise of 
the lights of the Day-Spring of the Testament. 

Thus the matter hath been decreed and de- 
cided! Although the calamities and afflictions 
suffered by the Blessed Perfection during His stay 
in Akka, were beyond the endurance of man, yet, 
through the providence of God and His assist- 
ance, these torrents of disaster did not prevent 
Him from reforming the character of His follow- 
ers, and the assault of hardships and grievances 
did not stop the spread of His Teachings. For 
the tribulations of Beha-Ullah were not only con- 
fined to the contradictions of the tyrannical 
clergy, or the calumnies of fanatical Divines. Nor 
were His sufferings caused only by the injustice of 
statesmen and the covetousness of rulers, who ac- 
counted oppression of strangers and showing hos- 
tility towards those outside their faith, as a re- 
ligious duty. It was a greater task to beautify 
the character of His own people, than to defend 
Himself against exterior enemies. Guarding His 
followers from committing unseemly actions was 



His Holiness Beha-Ullan. 63 

more difficult than enduring the persecutions of 
the outsiders. For these people who had just em- 
braced the Beha'i religion were formerly Babis, 
and during the time of "Fatrat" (interval between 
two prophets or the time between the martyr- 
dom of the Bab and the rise of Beha-Ullah) they 
had frequently departed from the limit of modera- 
tion, owing to the evil training of different leaders. 
Thus they had grown to consider many censurable 
actions as allowable and justifiable, such as dispos- 
ing of men's property and pillaging the defeated. 
This latitude and laxity of principle likewise ex- 
tended to the conflict and bloodshed permitted by 
their former religion, Islam. The Babis gener- 
ally were ignorant of the ordinances of the Bab, 
and supposed them to be similar to the doctrines 
of the Shi'ites, which they considered the source of 
the Babi religion. This ignorance was due to the 
fact that the Babis were strictly prohibited by the 
Persian rulers from holding intercourse with or 
visiting the Bab, while the latter was in prison. 
Thus they had been deprived of the opportunity of 
seeing Him and receiving instruction in His 
laws and ordinances. Warfare and pillage were 
absolutely violations of the fundamental basis of 
the Religion of Beha-Ullah, which was established 
for the express purpose of spreading universal 
brotherhood and humanity. It was a supernatu- 
ral deed to reform the character and morals of a 
community, all the members of which were scat- 
tered in different cities and countries. For when 
the Bab appeared, the Mohammedans in general, 



64 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

particularly the Shi'ites of the "Church of the 
Twelve," were looking with all earnestness of soul 
for the appearance of the promised Mahdi, whom 
they supposed would be the promoter of their 
laws. Although the prominent and learned among 
the Shi'ite clergy of Persia joined the circle of 
the Bab's followers, yet His cause did not pene- 
trate any other religion. Nor was it embraced by 
the people of any other country, except Irak Ara- 
bi, which can scarcely be considered foreign, on 
account of the Shi'ite Imams situated there, and 
of the considerable number of Shi'ites residing in 
it! When Beha-Ullah appeared, however, it was 
but a short time before His followers became 
noted for their good deeds and just characters. 
As a result of His training, they soon became suc- 
cessful in promoting His Word, rendered spiritual 
assistance to His cause, and were grounded in ad- 
mirable religious beliefs. Day by day, His fol- 
lowers increased in number and the power of His 
Word became more and more manifest, so that in 
a short space of time it was introduced into other 
countries and penetrated other religions besides 
Islam. Even the Jews, Zoroastrians, Nusseyrites 
and other remote peoples who were considered 
as being absolutely extinct and lifeless, attained, 
by thousands, the honor of accepting His Cause. 
For this they fell victims to the tyranny and per- 
secutions of the Moslems and their own former 
co-religionists; quaffing the cup of martyrdom 
with joy, steadfastness, triumph and forbearance. 
This was a matter of astonishment to sagacious 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 65 

men, for these people were many in number and 
belonged to the rich classes; numbers of them 
were merchants and traders, and thus could not be 
supposed to have embraced Behaism in order to 
gain riches or fame. For the followers of Beha- 
Ullah did not possess any wealth, affluence or 
material power which might induce people to join 
them. Moreover, after embracing this religion, 
they showed such steadfastness, that no fear of 
losing their lives and property could shake their 
faith. Therefore the Behais recognized this 
firmness, forbearance and endurance of calamities 
to be a proof of the truth of this religion, and as 
the most manifest evidence and witness of the 
power of the Word of Beha-Ullah. 

After His arrival at Akka, Beha-Ullah avoided 
holding intercourse with the general public, ex- 
cept persons who were especially desirous of visit- 
ing Him. This gave Him time for writing an- 
swers to myriad questionings of people and also 
prevented the enemy from inventing calumnies 
and accusations against Him. He charged His 
eldest son, named after His grandfather Mirza 
Abbas, and who is also entitled the "Greatest 
Branch of God," to hold intercourse with the peo- 
ple. For nine years after He moved from the 
fortress, He did not go out of the house where 
He resided ; nor during this time did He go for a 
recreation to the gardens outside the walls of 
Akka. Later on, He sometimes went to a garden 
belonging to Him, situated outside the city. 
Finally He left Akka and lived in a building situ- 



66 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

ated near the village Behji, and belonging to one 
of the wealthy men of that city. A few years be- 
fore His departure, He visited Haifa, Mt. Carmel, 
and also a convent built by the monks of the Car- 
melite order, just above Elijah's cave. In this 
convent, He rested for more than an hour, and 
while there one of His Holy Tablets was revealed 
from His blessed pen. From that time on He 
stayed each year for a period at Haifa, where the 
Behaists of different sects, religions, and lands, 
visited Him. There they partook of the table of 
His generosity and became filled with the 
pure water of the sea of His knowledge. 
Finally, Beha-Ullah departed to the Everlasting 
World and ascended to the Supreme Horizon, on 
the 2nd day of the Arabic month, Zulka'da 1309 
A. H. (May 28th, 1892). On the day of His 
Departure, all the inhabitants of Haifa, Akka 
and neighboring places, assembled together in the 
presence of His eldest son, — the "Greatest 
Branch of God," — and interred His remains, with 
extraordinary respect, close to the Mansion of 
Behji, which is situated a short distance from 
Akka. 

The Books, Tablets, and Divine Revelations of 
Beha-Ullah, contain treatises, written generally 
in answer to questions asked by people, both 
Behais and outsiders. For during His stay in 
Irak, Adrianople and Akka, when His Name had 
become renowned in the world, and the penetra- 
tion of His Word attracted the attention of intelli- 
gent minds, the Seekers after Truth, who were 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 67 

earnest in the search of knowledge and wisdom, 
went to Him, asking intricate and abstruse ques- 
tions. Those who were not able to visit Him on 
account of the strict prohibition of rulers and 
other obstacles, asked Him difficult questions 
through correspondence. He answered them in- 
stantly without delay or hesitation, although sub- 
ject to rigorous calamities and afflictions. These 
answers were forwarded after a copy of them had 
been reserved. Chief among the questioners 
were the Babis, who had believed in Him. They, 
as already explained, had been prevented from re- 
ceiving instructions from the Bab, on account of 
the strict prohibition of the Government, and were 
not informed of His laws. He also wrote certain 
Tablets which He sent to the crowned heads and 
to the chief religious doctors and divines. Thus, 
in a short time, His books and epistles were 
scattered like rose-petals throughout different 
cities, and the teachings given therein were 
poured forth like unto raindrops over all regions. 
So the voice of His Manifestation reached the 
West and East like a flash of lightning and His 
Cause penetrated other countries and nations. 
Some of the Tablets He wrote in Modern Persian, 
while others written in answer to the learned and 
leading Zoroastrians, are in pure Old Persian. 
Some He has written in eloquent Arabic and 
others in ordinary Arabic of to-day, so that they 
may be comprehended by the common people. All 
of them are in the most graceful and elegant style, 
and although written without premeditation or re- 



68 His Holiness Bena-Ullah. 

flection, are nevertheless in the most excellent 
form of composition. Historians have stated the 
number of these Tablets to be over one thousand, 
but this computation and estimate is mere guess- 
work and approximation, for though numerous 
volumes of the Tablets of Beha-Ullah are already- 
published, a still larger quota has not yet been col- 
lected and compiled. Not until all of them have 
been collected, will their number be accurately 
known. According to His own statements in the 
Tablets themselves, Beha-Ullah said that the 
Tablets revealed from His Pen, are equivalent to 
all the Heavenly Books of the extant religions of 
the world. This is one of the proofs and evidences 
of the Truth of His Mission. The Epistles and 
Treatises of Beha-Ullah contain four different 
styles and classes of knowledge. Upon the un- 
derstanding of these depends, as is believed by the 
Behais, the knowledge of the Truth of all the 
Divine Religions. Without this understanding 
man cannot be thoroughly informed of the 
benefits of religion, nor can ideal refinement and 
civilization be realized. Some of them contain 
laws and regulations whereby the rights and in- 
terests of all the nations of the world can be per- 
petuated, for these statutes are so enacted that 
they meet the necessities of every land and 
country and are acceptable to every man of intel- 
ligence. In this universality they resemble the 
laws of Nature, which secure the progress and 
development of all peoples; and they will bring 
about universal union and harmony. The most 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 69 

important and best known among these is the 
-—Book of Akdas" and its supplementary Tablets, 
revealed in answer to questions asked concerning 
the texts of Akdas ; also the Tablets of "Ishrakat," 
"Tarazat," etc. To this class belong the Tablets 
written upon the conduct of the "ascetic" seekers 
and strivers after truth. Such is the Book of the 
"Seven Valleys, ,, written in answer to Sheikh 
Abdul Rahman of Kerkoot, one of the prominent 
Sufi Sheikhs of Irak Arabi. Although Beha- 
Ullah has forbidden Sufiism, Monkhood and in- 
activity, i. e., abandoning the practice of trade 
and profession, yet, in these Tablets, He has ex- 
plained the manner of real devotion. Some others 
contain solutions of the intricate points of the 
Heavenly Books of former peoples, which, before 
His Manifestation, were sealed by the seal of the 
Prophets ; God having decreed that their opening 
and interpretation should be effected at the Day 
of the Lord's Appearance. As the learned at- 
tempted to interpret them before the appointed 
time, they fell into error in apprehension of their 
real purport, and thus misled people instead of 
enlightening them ! The Behais believe that this 
very point caused the Jews to falsely deny our 
Lord Jesus Christ, and the Zoroastrians to con- 
sider all the Israelitish prophets as impostors. 
The Behais also believe that former interpreta- 
tions of the Book are but false imaginations of 
man, and inversions of the Divine Word. To 
this class of His writings belong the well-known 
book of "Ighan" and the Book entitled "Jawahir 



70 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

'ill As'rar" ("Gems of Mysteries"), revealed in 
Baghdad at the request of one of the nobility of 
Fars; in which He has opened the seals of the 
former prophetic books. Some others contain 
prayers and divine eulogies, which instruct men in 
the mode of worship; supplications and com- 
munes, which are means of communion between 
the worshipper and the Adored One. The bene- 
fits imparted by such devotional acts are the illu- 
mination and purification of man's conscience, by 
which the faculty of Divine Apprehension is 
strengthened, the brutal qualities of man are re- 
fined and the worshipper attains true realization 
and certainty. Some others contain discourses 
and exordiums in which He has explained the real 
meaning of the Unity of the Divine Essence and 
has demonstrated and elucidated the original pur- 
pose of the mission of prophets, as well as the 
stations of the separation and union of those 
dawning places of the Command of God. In 
other words, in these Tablets, Beha-Ullah has 
solved intricate theological questions in the clear- 
est way, whereby He not only has demonstrated 
the truth of the new Cause, but also the truth of 
the founders of former religions. In this connec- 
tion, M. Gabriel de Sassy, one of the noble Chris- 
tians of Cairo, made the following statement in a 
speech delivered by him before an assembly of 
learned men in Paris, during the Exposition of 
1901 : — 

"When the Behais wish to make a convert to 
their religion, they endeavor from the very first to 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 7* 

confirm him in his own religion, thus enabling him 
to become cognizant of the principal proofs where- 
by the Divine religions are demonstrated and to 
distinguish a Prophet from an impostor. Conse- 
quently, the Old Testament of the Behais consists 
of all the Heavenly Books revealed through the 
former Prophets, while their New Testament com- 
prises the Tablets of Beha-Ullah, which in fact rec- 
oncile these books and contain the interpretation 
and explanation of them !" 

The meaning of M. de Sassy's statement is, that 
what makes a people deny the Manifestation is 
necessarily their ignorance of the real proofs and 
arguments. Because of this ignorance the Jews 
denied Christ; and the Zoroastrians and Hin- 
doos rejected Moses, Christ, and other prophets. 
To sum up ; during the interval between the time 
of His Holiness Beha-Ullah at Baghdad and His 
Departure at Akka, four rivers of knowledge 
flowed from His swift Pen, without which the re- 
ligions of the world could not be developed and 
refreshed, and the Tree of Union and harmony 
would not have been planted in the Greatest Par- 
adise. The writer believes that the four rivers 
spoken of in the former Heavenly Books as flow- 
ing out from the Divine Throne in the Garden of 
Eden, signify these four styles. For the spiritu- 
ally-minded realize that the Spirit of God can only 
be manifested through the Holy Temple of Man, 
and therefore, to them, the rivers flowing from this 
great Throne to water all the regions of the 
world, are none other than rivers of spiritual 
knowledge. 



72 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

During Beha-Ullah's residence at Baghdad, it 
was His custom to write the Tablets with His own 
hand; but in Adrianople they were usually written 
by the Pen of His Eldest Son, the "Greatest 
Branch of God." During the exile at Akka they 
were dictated to different amanuenses, including 
Mirza Aga Jan of Kashan (the servant of Beha- 
Ullah), Mirza Mohammed Ali, Mirza Zia 'Ullah, 
Mirza Badi 'Ullah (the children of His Holi- 
ness Beha-Ullah) and Mirza Majd'ud-Din, his 
son-in-law. These amanuenses wrote them in 
His Presence from His dictation, and after col- 
lating and revising them, copies thereof would be 
forwarded to the questioners. As to the letters 
and supplications sent to Him through Mirza Aga 
Jan, the amanuensis of Beha-Ullah, to which 
He wrote the answers, these were also dictated by 
Beha-Ullah Himself. Even the texts written 
upon the envelopes were worded by Beha-Ul- 
lah, for Mirza Aga Jan was a man of a very 
ordinary education, and uneducated people are 
naturally unable to explain intricate scientific 
subjects. The fact that all the Tablets forwarded 
in answer to the questions asked through Mirza 
Aga Jan were dictated to him by Beha-Ullah 
Himself, became clearly evident during the later 
days of Beha-Ullah, for Mirza Aga Jan acknowl- 
edged this before an assembly of believers. More- 
over, his writings after the Departure of the 
Blessed Perfection, obviously and indisputably 
proved that the former Tablets were not his word- 
ing and compositions. "Things are known by 
their opposites." 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 73 

As to the devotional ordinances instituted by 
Beha-Ullah, these comprise prayer, fasting, and 
the pilgrimage to the House of God, according to 
details explained in the Book. These are duties 
which are incumbent upon all, if circumstances 
permit their performance. There are also, invo- 
cations and prayers which the Behais chant in 
their meetings as a blessing, or the pious recite in 
private, while communing with God. Most of 
these Tablets are already collected and compiled. 
His ethical ordinances comprise laws command- 
ing good qualities and excellent virtues, such as 
sincerity, faith, devotion, love, integrity, chastity, 
purity, trustworthiness and piety; and forbidding 
people from evil conduct and abominable deeds, 
such as lying, backbiting, slandering, murder, 
theft, fornication, disputing and striving, even 
with enemies, etc. He has, in numerous Tablets, 
commanded His followers in the most graceful 
and emphatic manner to possess those good char- 
acteristics, without which the world of humanity 
would be as a lifeless body; and has forbidden 
what is unbecoming to the honor of humanity. 
In the Book of Akdas which supersedes all former 
books, and is a touch-stone of hearts and souls, He 
says : — "Decorate yourselves with the garment of 
deeds; whosoever attains God's good pleasure by 
deeds is of the people of Beha, and he will be 
spoken of before the Throne. Assist ye the King 
of Creation, first by deeds, then by wisdom and 
utterances. Thus ye have been commanded in 
most of the Tablets from the Presence of the 



74 His Holiness Beha-UUah. 

Clement One. Verily He is the Knower of that 
which I say! Let no one denounce another, and 
let no one slay another. This is that from which 
we have forbidden you in the Book and which was 
concealed beneath the awning of Might. Do you 
kill him whom God hath quickened with a spirit 
from Himself? Is not this a sin, which is great 
before [Our] Throne ?" He has expressed these 
ordinances in the most forcible manner possible. 
Not only has He forbidden murder, conflict, and 
strife, but also slavery, self-exaltation and all 
that may cause grief and offence to men; and 
He has commanded meekness and humility. 
It is revealed in the Book of Akdas as follows: — 
"Ye are not allowed to buy male or female slaves. 
No servant has the right to buy another servant, as 
this is forbidden in the Tablet of God; thus hath 
the matter been written through mercy with the 
Pen of Equity. No one should glory over an- 
other; all are servants unto Him, and show that 
verily there is no God save Him. — Verily He is 
wise in all things"! In another place in the 
same Book He says: — "Decorate your heads with 
the crown of trustfulness and faithfulness; your 
hearts with the robe of piety, your tongues 
with pure truthfulness, and your temples with 
the mantles of courtesy. All of these are be- 
fitting to man, were ye of those who perceive." 
He has commanded people to sincerely love every 
nation, without exception, as their own brothers; 
no matter to what religion and sect they may be- 
long, and to consider it a most obligatory duty to 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 75 

purify their hearts and souls from former rancour. 
Therefore, He has commanded His friends to shun 
every word which might cause the slightest dis- 
cord; to avoid cursing, execration and all that 
gives offence ; to serve all people ; to glory not in 
loving our country, but rather in loving all the 
world. In this connection, He has said in the 
Book of Akdas: — "Consort ye with all the re- 
ligions with joy and fragrance, so that they may 
discover from you the odor of the Merciful. Be- 
ware not to be overtaken by the bigotry of the 
•Jaheliyye among men. — All come from God 
and will return to Him. Verily, He is the origin 
of the people and the goal of the creatures" ! 

In a Tablet revealed in 1299 A. H. (1882 A. D.), 
in favor of Mirza Abul Fazl He says : — 

"In this Day, a Sun hath risen from the horizon 
of Divine Providence, and this exalted Word is 
written upon its brow, 'Verily we have created you 
for love and faithfulness and not for hostility and 
rancour.' " In the same Tablet He says: — "Ver- 
ily, God, His Prophets, Messengers, Chosen Ones, 
the Supreme Concourse, and the people of the 
Exalted Paradise and the Lofty Kingdom, bless 
those who arise to bring about affinity between 
the hearts of His Servants and beloved. Verily, 
He is the Compassionate and the Benevolent"! 
In a Tablet written in answer to the questions of 
one of the prominent Zoroastrians, He says: — 
"The Peerless Friend commands — Say, O friends, 

•This term was applied by Mohammed, in the Koran, to the Pagan 
Arabs. Here it means fanatics among the nations who have not be- 
lieved in the Cause of God. 



76 His Holiness Beha-UUah. 

the Pavilion of Unity is erected; do not gaze at 
each other with the eyes of strangers. Ye are all 
the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one 
branch." In the Book of Ah'd, which He wrote 
during His later days and in which He clearly 
appointed the "Center of the Covenant," the Day 
Spring of the Lights of the Testament, and com- 
manded all the branches, twigs, relatives and peo- 
ple of Beha to obey the Powerful "Branch" ex- 
tended from the Excellent and Ancient Root, 
He says: — "Truly I say: Piety is the greatest 
commander for assisting the Divine Cause, and 
the hosts which are worthy of this commander 
are pure, agreeable deeds and characters. Say, 
O servants, do not make the means of order a 
subject for disorder and do not make the reason 
of union, an instrument for discord. It is hoped 
that the people of Beha will observe the words, 
'Say — All are from the Presence of God/ This ex- 
alted word is like unto water for quenching the 
fire of animosity and rancour hidden and depos- 
ited within hearts and breasts. Different religions 
will attain to the light of real union through this 
single word. Verily, He says the Truth and 
guideth to the path. And He is the Powerful, the 
Mighty, the Beautiful" ! 

To sum up; in His Tablets He has revealed 
wonderful words regarding the beautifying and 
perfecting of human characters and virtues which, 
as brilliant pearls, adorn and decorate the crown 
of the kings of the world, and from which people 
inhale the fragrance of roses. They have proved 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 77 

effective in training and reforming the character 
of the Beha'is and in straightening the crooked- 
ness of the Babis, so that, notwithstanding their 
greatly increased numbers, they have become uni- 
versally celebrated for good conduct, noted ev- 
erywhere for excellent morals; and nothing con- 
trary to humanity or against the laws of the gov- 
ernments proceeds from them. In 1300 A. H. 
(1882 A. D.), without any justification, the Be- 
hais were arrested and imprisoned in Teheran and 
other Persian cities and were pillaged and plun- 
dered by the clergy and rulers. One evening in 
the month Rabi'us-Sani of the same year, the 
Prince Nayeb'us Saltana Kamran Mirza (then 
Governor of Teheran and Mazanderan and the 
Commander-in-Chief of the Persian Army) sum- 
moned the author into His Presence. He dis- 
cussed these matters for two hours with some of 
the Behais. Among other things he said: — "If 
the Persian Government sometimes interferes 
with the Babis it is in the right and not to be 
blamed; for the Shah and his statesmen have not 
forgotten the former actions of this community, 
nor are the battles they fought in Mazanderan, 
Zanjan, and Neyriz effaced from memories. ,, 
Then Mirza- Abul-Fazl said: — "Although some 
unseemly actions which proceeded from the Babis 
at the outset of the Cause can by no means be 
denied, nor can they be excused in any way, yet 
to arrest the Beha'is for the sins committed by the 
Babis is, in fact, the greatest error and oppression 
upon the part of the Government. For punishing 



78 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

an innocent one in lieu of the sinner is far from 
equity and justice. These unfortunate ones who 
are now subjected to the wrath and anger of the 
great Prince, have no connection with the Babis, 
nor are they of the same religion and creed ; nor 
have they ever seen any of those Babis who 
fought against the Government. Should this fact 
be unknown to others, it is well known to your 
highness, the Governor of this province. You 
have very often arrested and imprisoned adher- 
ents of these two communities and know of the 
contrasts between their beliefs and doctrines and 
of the violent hatred and hostility which the Ezelis 
show toward the Behais. Therefore, you must 
realize that the division existing between the two 
communities is caused by their difference of opin- 
ions, conduct and beliefs. Had the Behais ap- 
proved the conduct of the Babis and behaved ac- 
cordingly, they would not have become subject to 
their hostility and rancour. If you carefully read 
tablets, books, and writings which have been 
taken from the Behais by force and pillage, you 
will observe that His Holiness Beha-Ullah has, 
in all of them, commanded His people to bear al- 
legiance to the Government, to show respect to 
princes and rulers and to reverence men of learn- 
ing. He has even forbidden them from smug- 
gling their effects through custom-houses and 
prohibited them from infringing upon the laws in 
any way. Have you ever seen similar ordinances 
among the Babis or in their books? You also 
know that the people of Beha regard His Com- 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 79 

mands as Divine and they are more assiduous in 
carrying them out than are other religions and 
communities in obeying their laws. You should 
appreciate these facts and be certain that nothing 
contrary to the Shah and the Persian Govern- 
ment will ever proceed from the Behais. While 
you have the opportunity you can do that which 
may greatly benefit your posterity, bring you 
to enjoy everlasting distinction, and cause your 
name to be well spoken of in the history of the 
world." Then, in order to make him thoroughly 
cognizant of this point, Mirza-Abul-Fazl asked 
him: — "O, Prince, how long have you been the 
Governor of Teheran and neighboring localities ?" 
He replied : — "From ten to twelve years." 

"During this long period, while the Behais 
were more in number in Teheran than in any 
other city, have you ever heard any one complain 
about them before the Government, for any other 
reason than because of their religion and doc- 
trine? In other words, have you ever heard a 
Behai accused of drinking wine, rioting, wound- 
ing anybody, murder, theft, gambling, refusing to 
pay taxes, smuggling or conspiracy?" He an- 
swered: — "No." "Then how can you have more 
obedient subjects than the Behais, and how is it 
you do not appreciate this benefit? If any other 
government possessed such subjects, every just 
and unprejudiced ruler would greatly appreciate 
them and would recognize the necessity of pro- 
tecting them. Were the leading men of the Per- 
sian Government to justly reflect upon these 



8o His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

points they would acknowledge the favor and 
providence of the Blessed Perfection, and open 
their mouth in His praise. Moreover, if those 
leaders and statesmen who still consider the 
Babis and Behais as one community and blame 
the innocent for the sin of the guilty, were to 
use sound judgment they will clearly see that 
the very errors which you assert were com- 
mitted by the Babis were due to the bad manage- 
ment of both the civil and religious leaders. For 
if different rulers in Persia had not, by the com- 
mand of the ignorant clergy, prevented the Babis 
from intercourse with the Bab and had not so 
strictly repressed religious freedom, the Babis 
would not have remained ignorant of the ordi- 
nances and brilliant character of the Bab, and 
fought in self-defence, as required by their former 
religion. How is it that the Behais, while their 
number is now greatly multiplied and they are far 
more persecuted by the Government than the for- 
mer Babis, instead of defending themselves, do 
not even complain of any injustice? Why is it 
that their endurance and self-restraint is a matter 
of amazement to strangers, and their good con- 
duct universally approved by all nations? It is 
because they are commanded to obey the Govern- 
ment and to love the people of the world. 
Through Beha-Ullah's teachings the roses of 
grace and compassion have grown up in the 
grounds of their hearts, instead of the thorns of 
enmity and hatred, and by Him the breeze of obe- 
dience and peace has replaced whirlwinds of de- 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. &* 

fence and resistance. So the Behais have in- 
creased and their tranquility, dignity and con- 
stancy become renowned throughout all regions 
and climes, while obedience to government, love 
and brotherhood with all the different nations 
have become their obligatory belief." 

To sum up; Mirza-Abul-Fazl submitted these 
points to him with all sincerity and truthful- 
ness, so that, if he had not been embit- 
tered with fanaticism through the influence 
of the clergy, he would have been able to 
greatly benefit himself and the Persian Gov- 
ernment, and would have made the royal fam- 
ily an object of real allegiance to the people 
of Beha. But, alas, the hearts of some of the 
leading men of state were so rilled and saturated 
with ignorant bigotry that no miracle could 
move them, much less the words of a man like 
Abul-Fazl, who at that moment was a prisoner 
in their hands, and his life dependent upon their 
immediate verdict. But the author has since 
learned, through numerous evidences, that al- 
though at that time the Prince was prevented by 
prejudice from realizing the truth of his words, 
yet now, twenty years after that event, he is sure 
of the fact that all this was said in sincerity, 
loyalty and allegiance, and were it not for 
fear of the extreme fanaticism of the clergy and 
the people, he would acknowledge this to be 
true. In the same year the author and twenty- 
four other Behais were confined in the house of 
this Prince, and during most of the days and 



82 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

nights held two hours' intercourse with him. The 
only praiseworthy quality witnessed in this Prince 
was that he would converse with a prisoner with 
the utmost quietness and composure, without feel- 
ing offended or becoming irritated. In fact, he 
exhibited a great power of control, so that he 
could conceal hostility and rancour under the 
cover of outward cheerfulness and calmness; 
and disguise the most violent kind of hard-heart- 
edness and asperity in the garb of compassion and 
mercy. It was due to these characteristics that 
the author and the other Beha'is, who were men 
of learning, had the opportunity of talking with 
him upon these subjects, and did not refrain from 
giving him admonition and advice, as is the duty 
of righteous souls. The purpose of this digres- 
sion and deviation from our general subject of 
the laws and ordinances, is to make men of 
perception realize the result of the utterances 
of the Blessed Perfection, and understand how 
rapidly the Divine laws proved effective and 
penetrative in reforming the characteristics of 
the Behais. For it is not an easy matter that 
a community of recent organization, composed 
of different peoples and assemblages, scattered 
in various lands, should be so trained and 
supported by their leader that during the 
forty years of His appearance among ] them 
nothing contrary to the laws of governments 
should proceed from them, and that none 
should be accused of evil deeds or bad morals. 
When a man of insight considers the heavenly 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 83 

laws and regulations of former Divine religions, he 
will find them divided into three classes in rela- 
tionship with their objects. The first class con- 
tains ordinances which refer to the duty of a ser- 
vant to thank, praise and supplicate his Creator, 
so that his heart may be purified and his soul and 
conscience sanctified. Thus the truth of all things 
may be reflected in the pure and clear mirror of 
this servant, and he may be led to the true realiza- 
tion of a position of perfect obedience to the prin- 
ciples of religious doctrines. Such ordinances 
are communes, prayers, thanksgivings, praises 
and other devotional acts which are the pillars of 
every religion. For without these the love of 
God and fear of Him, which are the solid founda- 
tion of humanity, cannot be realized, nor can a 
perfect faith upon which is based the penetration 
of the Word, its prevalence, and the formation of 
morals, be secured. "Adore Thy Lord, so that 
real certainty may overtake Thee." In the line 
of such devotional acts, after enacting laws of 
prayer, fasts, pilgrimage and alms-giving, which 
He has explained in detail in His Tablets, the 
Blessed Perfection has revealed great numbers of 
invocations and communes. In all of these, He 
has commanded the Worshippers to entreat God 
to beautify their character and endow them with 
excellent virtues. In order to awaken the intelli- 
gent man, we will utilize the following illustration. 
In performing the ablution of the hands before 
prayer, He has commanded the people of Beha 
to recite the following: — "Oh my God, strengthen 



84 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

Thou my hands to take hold of Thy Book, with 
such steadfastness, that the hosts of the world will 
fail to hinder it. Then protect them from dis- 
posing of any thing not owned by them, verily 
Thou art the Powerful the Mighty." 

In washing the face, to repeat the following: — 
"Oh my God, I have turned my face unto Thee; 
illumine it with the lights of Thy Face and keep 
it from turning to any but Thee." It must be 
evident to men of perception who ponder over 
this fact, that when the worshipper repeats these 
points several times a day and begs of God their 
realization in himself, he will become well-rooted 
in the high qualities of steadfastness, power and 
firmness in religion. Also that in abstaining from 
disposing of the property of others, and in perfect 
resignation unto God under all circumstances, 
these qualities which are accounted as the highest 
characteristics of man and effect the security of 
human society will become manifest in him. The 
second class comprises ordinances which, besides 
the benefits they impart to society, refer to indi- 
viduals. For they ordain the virtues of cleanli- 
ness, purity, dignity, calmness, chastity, etc. God 
the Almighty, in accordance with the noble and 
excellent form and image of man the most 
comely in the world of creation, has commanded 
each soul to practice these virtues, in order that 
they may be ingrafted and well rooted within him. 
These excellent qualities are necessary for man, 
whether he be alone or in society; whether 
other men appreciate them in him or not ; whether 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 85 

they praise him for them or not; for, apart from 
the benefits they impart to society, they are the 
approved characteristics of true manhood. The 
forcible way in which Beha-Ullah has stated the 
necessity of these cleanly virtues to the people of 
Beha, and the eloquent manner in which He has 
demonstrated their properties and benefits, has 
never before been equalled in the heavenly books 
of other religions. Notwithstanding man's diffi- 
culty in forsaking old habits and his natural slow- 
ness in spiritual advancement, the reformation of 
the character of the Behais was perfectly effected 
in a very short space of time, and their good qual- 
ities witnessed in the writings of outsiders. In re- 
gard to cleanliness, notwithstanding the manifest 
advancement of some of the refined nations, it is 
evident that this praiseworthy quality is still im- 
perfect among the masses. In the books of the 
Moslems, Jews, Zoroastrians and Hindoos, al- 
though the laws of cleanliness and ordinances 
concerning clean and unclean things are minutely 
recorded, yet there are very few of these people 
who are really cleanly. But many who pretend 
and affect cleanliness and purity, shunning those 
outside their religion and abstaining from touch- 
ing certain animals, appear in the most impure 
clothing and bodies. Oftentimes they have carried 
this artificial idea of cleanliness to the extremes 
of insanity and melancholy. Stories and romances 
illustrating this subject furnish extraordinary rec- 
ords of a kind of acquired insanity which is amaz- 
ing to people of intelligence. 



86 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

Although the American and European Chris- 
tians, more particularly the inhabitants of Hol- 
land, France, England and Germany, are far more 
advanced than other nations in the cleanliness of 
their persons, clothing, residences, roads and 
streets, yet they do not deem it necessary to 
cleanse the soil of impurities, unless they cause 
visible dirt. For in the New Testament no com- 
mand is definitely given to avoid that which is 
filthy and impure. Consequently, one who has a 
conception of real cleanliness would not hesitate 
to conclude that perfect cleanliness as a practice 
is in its infancy, even among the most refined na- 
tions of the world, awaiting the time when God 
the Exalted, shall bring it to the highest pitch of 
perfection. Now, in order to show forth the 
abundant and perfect benefits of God in this great 
dispensation, to protect people from the melan- 
cholic imaginations of former nations and deliver 
more than one-half of the population of the earth 
from an acquired insanity, the Blessed Perfection 
has pronounced all things clean. At the same 
time He has emphatically commanded all to 
avoid everything filthy and to cleanse dresses, 
bodies and household furniture, etc., from every 
pollution. He has revealed these ordinances in 
the Book of Akdas and numerous Tablets, so that 
real cleanliness and perfect purity, which are high 
attributes of heavenly souls, may shine forth 
throughout all regions, and reach the highest 
zenith of perfection among all nations. Thus it 
is revealed in the Book of Akdas: — "Cleanse 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 87 

every impure thing with a water which will not 
change by the 'three' (color, taste, smell); 
beware not to use a water which is infected by 
the air (stagnant) or by any other thing. Be 
the essence of cleanliness among mankind. This 
is that which your Master, the Mighty, the Wise, 
has desired for you. Thus, God hath removed the 
decree of uncleanliness from all things, and from 
other nations, as a gift from God. Verily, He is 
the Forgiving, the Beneficent. All things are 
being submerged in the Sea of pureness. In the 
first (Day) of Rizwan,* when We manifested Our- 
self to all in the world with Our most Comely 
Names and Our exalted Attributes, all things have 
been submerged in the Sea of pureness. This is 
through My Favor, which surrounds all the creat- 
ures, so that they may consort with all religions, 
and deliver .the Cause of your Lord the Clement. 
Verily, this is the Crown of all deeds, were ye of 
those who know! And the great pureness was 
commanded and cleansing from dust; how much 
more from solid impurity and other things ? Fear 
God, and be of the pure ones ! Whosoever has im- 
purity upon his clothing, his prayer will not ascend 
to God, and the Heavenly Concourse will shun him. 
Make use of rose-water, and also pure attar. This 
is what has been pleasing to God from all eternity, 
so that what is wished by your Lord, the Mighty, 
the Wise, may be diffused from you." 

In another place of the same book, He says : — 



♦On the first day of the Feast of Rizwan, the Blessed Perfection 
pronounced all things pure. 



88 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

"Beware lest heedlessness may prevent you from 
what you have been commanded by the Mighty, 
the Great! Immerse yourselves in pure water; a 
water which has been used is not allowable. Be- 
ware not to approach the reservoirs of the baths 
in Persia. Whosoever goes near to them will in- 
hale a foul smell even before entering therein. O 
people, turn aside from them and be not of the 
debased ones! Verily, it is like unto foul 
matter, were ye of those who know! Likewise, 
forsake the foul tanks (in the houses), and be of 
those who are pure. Verily, we have desired to 
see you the manifestations of Paradise on earth, 
so that there may emanate from you that whereat 
the hearts of the near ones shall rejoice. Whoso- 
ever pours water upon himself and thus bathes 
his body, it is sufficient, and he does not need to 
be immersed therein. Verily, God hath desired to 
make things easy for you, as a favor, so that you 
may be of those who are thankful." 

It is necessary to explain these points, so that 
the inhabitants of America and Europe, who, 
owing to the universal spread of civilization 
during the last century, enjoy all the benefits of 
cleanliness, neatness, and protection from fatal 
epidemic diseases resulting from uncleanliness, 
may become cognizant of the disasters of the 
Orient, and be informed of the reason why such 
ordinances have been revealed. For except one 
is acquainted with the foulness of the waters of 
the public baths of Persia, the putrid tanks of 
their houses and mosques, the impurity of the 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 89 

drinking water of the inhabitants of Bokhara and 
other vast countries of Tartary; and understands 
how cleanliness and neatness are neglected by 
these two great nations, it is impossible to realize 
the Bounty of God the Exalted, Who has revealed 
such ordinances, or to thoroughly understand the 
necessity of these laws. For it is customary with 
the Persian people to have but one public bath for 
every district which contains from one thousand 
to fifteen hundred houses, and their means of 
bathing and cleanliness is confined to this one 
bath. It consists of two houses, built of stone, 
brick and cement; one for disrobing, the other 
containing the hot bath, for bathing and cleans- 
ing their bodies. At one side of the latter, there 
is a reservoir of hot water, about three metres in 
length and breadth and one metre and a quarter 
in depth. All the inhabitants immerse and wash 
themselves in this hot reservoir, and there are 
usually from five to ten men in it, some of them 
sound in body, others afflicted with all sorts of 
fatal diseases. When leaving the reservoir, they 
seat themselves upon the floor, and by means of 
hand sacks and black porous stones, they cleanse 
their bodies. They are frequently shaved and dye 
their hair in the same place. Then washing them- 
selves with soap, they take a final plunge into the 
same reservoir, the water of which is the foulest 
and most impure thing imaginable ; and then leave 
the bath. Such are the baths used by fifty mill- 
ions of Shi'ites who inhabit Persia, Turkestan and 
India. The reservoirs of Bokhara and Tartary, 



90 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

which contain the drinking water of the inhabit- 
ants, are also used for bathing and cleansing, like 
the Persian baths. In these countries a pond is 
built at different places in every town and village 
and surrounded with mulberry trees, etc. In 
these ponds, the inhabitants perform their ablu- 
tions and expectorate, while at the same time they 
wash their feet and handkerchiefs therein. The 
decaying leaves and fruits of the surrounding 
trees also fall into them. This same water is used 
by the inhabitants, for drinking and cooking. 
Very often the water in these tanks becomes 
green, and worms are found in it, yet the inhabi- 
tants believe it allowable to use, and it is called 
"pure water" by the law. Therefore most of the 
inhabitants of Bokhara are afflicted with "Filaria 
medinensis,' , and the people of Khookand with 
goitre. When men of discernment ponder 
over the facts here briefly indicated, they 
will be able to realize the mercy of God in in- 
stituting such ordinances for the preservation of a 
community numbering over three hundred mill- 
ions. For it is impossible to change by compul- 
sion of kings or advice of wise men, certain rooted 
practices of a people who believe these practices 
to be commanded by their religion. These cus- 
toms and habits can only be removed by new laws 
instituted by manifestations of the Command of 
God.- For instance, the traditional customs of 
the Jews, extracted from the Book of Meshna, 
and which are not enacted in the original Bible, 
could not be changed through the power of any 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 91 

mighty king or sagacious philosopher. This is 
also the case with the corrupt practices of the 
Hindoos and Magians. To sum up ; a number of 
moral ordinances which secure the perfecting of 
human virtues have been revealed from the Su- 
preme Pen, but to explain their benefits is beyond 
the limits of a short treatise. The third class com- 
prises laws and ordinances about matters which 
refer to general interests and the preservation of 
society. These ordain justice, equity, faithfulness, 
truthfulness, trustworthiness, chastity, etc., with- 
out which tranquility cannot be obtained and 
society cannot be preserved. This class of ordi- 
nances is vast in range, and the majority of the 
regulations belong to it. Included among them 
are laws concerning business transactions, admin- 
istration of government enactments, the rights of 
rulers and subjects, laws of marriage, heritage, 
etc. For man has been created a social being and 
his life and permanence depend upon co-operation 
and society. Therefore, the institutors of divine 
laws have assigned the greater part of them to 
administrative affairs, and have considered the as- 
sistance, advancement and development of the 
people as the most important part of their mis- 
sion. Moreover, the author believes that religion 
is none other than an institution which secures 
the preservation and advancement of society. As 
human minds are discordant, and as it is usually 
impossible for the possessors of sound minds to 
agree upon that which will secure the protection 
and development of peoples, therefore God the 



9 2 His Holiness Bena-Ullah. 

Exalted, has assigned the enactment of such laws 
to the Manifestations of His Own Command. 
These Holy Souls, through their divine percep- 
tion, enact rules and regulations by which the sup- 
port and progress of society is accomplished and 
advanced for about one thousand years. Then, 
in accordance with the law of progression and de- 
cline, which is one of the essential decrees of the 
world of Nature, the same Divine spirit will be 
manifested in another Manifestation Who renews 
these laws and regulations. From the above 
statement it is now evident that religion includes 
the preservation of these laws and rules, as well 
as attaining the knowledge of the source 
and fountain-head thereof. Therefore, the life 
and sustained vitality of nations can only be as- 
sured by appreciating this great gift. Mere faith 
in religion, without observing its laws and ordi- 
nances, can by no means secure our salvation and 
emancipation. Even love for God, without com- 
pliance with His laws and commandments, which 
form the cornerstone of all religious ordinances, 
will be considered as mere imagination and sheer 
pride. From this it is also understood that any 
nation which ignores and disobeys these holy 
laws, refusing to acknowledge the Dawning-place 
thereof, is a dead nation and will be finally extin- 
guished and destroyed; even though it may have 
prevailed over the dominions of the east and west, 
and been honored by brilliant learning, glorious 
influence and powerful armies. This is made 
clear bv reflecting upon the rise and fall of the 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 93 

Pharaohs of Egypt, the Pagan Caesars of Rome, 
the Keyanian kings of Persia, the Yemen princes 
of ancient Arabia, and the kings and descendants 
of Gengiz-Khan the Mongol. But whatever na- 
tion acknowledges a Holy Manifestation and 
obeys His Holy Law, will become a living nation, 
and enjoy victory, permanence, influence, and 
fame ; even though it may seem, at the beginning, 
weak, oppressed, and few in number. This point 
was vividly illustrated in the Israelites at the Ap- 
pearance of Moses; in the Christians at the Ad- 
vent of Christ; and in the Arabs at the Rise of 
Mohammed. 

The author submits that the Beauty of El-Abha 
(Exalted is His Glory !) has enacted laws and reg- 
ulations concerning every point or subject refer- 
ring to the preservation of society and the per- 
fecting of human virtues ; greater laws than which 
cannot be imagined by the possessors of intelli- 
gence. They concern manners and conditions of 
mutual intercourse, the founding of administra- 
tive organizations, the mutual rights of rulers and 
subjects, the spread of knowledge, respect due to 
philosophers and learned men, commands to re- 
frain from rebellion against kings and princes, 
obedience and reverence to parents, the laws of 
marriage, and the mutual rights of the wife and 
husband, laws of inheritance and other regula- 
tions. It is only through such laws that the union 
and harmony among nations of different religions 
and tongues can be effected ; for, in enacting laws 
upon every subject, He has taken two points into 



94 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

consideration. First, that obeying and carrying 
them into practice may be possible for all peoples, 
notwithstanding the difference of their countries. 
Second, that they may not excite selfish preju- 
dices and fanaticism. Through these laws, the 
breezes of ideal mercy and compassion will blow 
through hearts and souls, and the lights of real 
humanity will shine forth from all breasts. Thus, 
through the assistance of God, the spirit of dis- 
union, discord and hostility which divides nations, 
will be removed, and all the earth will be consid- 
ered as one Paradise and one home. For instance, 
as we have already stated, Beha-Ullah has not only 
forbidden all evil acts in detail (such as murder, 
backbiting, cursing, etc.), but He also has com- 
manded that no one should open his mouth in self- 
glorification, or interfere with the affairs of others ; 
because this would offend souls and grieve hearts, 
and finally end in inharmony and discord. 

In order to cause the spread of learning and en- 
lightenment, He has made it incumbent to 
educate children of both sexes, and to train 
them in lofty morals. Should any one disre- 
gard these commands, and neglect the train- 
ing of his children, the Government shall educate 
and train them in the schools, and assess the ex- 
penses upon the father. Should the father be 
poor, the Government must furnish the funds out 
of the money given to God, according to the law 
instituted in the Book; so that excellent morals 
may be universally spread throughout the world, 
and praiseworthy qualities may be firmly im- 



His Holiness Bena-Ullah. 95 

planted in the hearts of both sexes from their 
childhood. He has so emphasized this command 
to educate children, that no righteous man will 
fail to realize the necessity of complying with it. 
He has included the teachers of children in the list 
of heirs, so that their care and fatherhood may be 
ever appreciated by the world, and they may be 
encouraged to educate their pupils. The substance 
of what He has said in the book of Akdas upon this 
subject is as follows: — "Whosoever educates one 
of the children of the people who love God, it is as 
though he has educated one of the branches of the 
Blessed Divine Tree, and he is worthy of praise, 
blessing and mercy of God." When one reflects 
upon this point, he will find that as God has 
strictly commanded the spread of enlightenment 
and education, and as the power of the Word of 
God will assist it, this law of educating children 
will cause the removal of the darkness of igno- 
rance and barbarity from all regions of the world, 
and the promise of God, "The earth shall be illu- 
mined with the light of its Lord," will be clearly 
realized. 

In connection with occupations and professions, 
He has said that God the Almighty has, during 
this great Manifestation, made it obligatory for 
all to occupy themselves in professions which are 
praiseworthy, such as trade, agriculture, handi- 
craft, etc. He has also stated that gaining one's 
living through means which benefit society is 
considered as worshipping God the Exalted. He 
has re-enforced this command by enjoining upon 



96 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

the people of Beha, abstinence from monkhood, 
Sufi'ism, and retirement, as well as from ascetic 
discipline. He has commanded them to marry 
and to be engaged in the spread of knowledge 
which leads to the prosperity and welfare of peo- 
ples, and the restoration of the world. He has 
clearly demonstrated to intelligent men, that 
corruptions of Divine Religions, and the ap- 
pearances of ruinous, discordant beliefs, divi- 
sions, sects and heresies, have been invented 
worships resulting from Sufi'ism and asceticism. 
For when, like a paralysis, such practices afflicted 
any religion or people, enthusiasm, fervour, high 
understanding and perception were destroyed, 
and lethargy, inactivity and seclusion established 
instead. This finally led to heretical worships 
and beliefs, and the corruption and destruction of 
the religion. Indeed, if we consider the manner 
of the rise of monkhood in Christianity and 
Sufi'ism in Islam, we readily understand that their 
origin was the Platonic philosophy. The dread- 
ful wars, fictitious beliefs and practices which 
arose during the existence of Christianity and 
Islam, dividing these two religions into numer- 
ous sects and causing great national calami- 
ties, were clearly the results of monkhood and 
Sufi'ism. We must then realize the great Favor 
which God has shown to the Behais, and appre- 
ciate the great benefits of this strict command for 
all the peoples of the world. For during the last 
centuries preceding the appearance of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, the flourishing nation of Greece was 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 97 

renowned for its abundance of knowledge and 
wisdom, and its extensive glory and empire. The 
Greek dominion prevailed in Syria, Egypt, Meso- 
potamia and the coasts of the Red Sea, and a 
great number of the learned men of this nation in- 
habited these countries. This naturally caused 
the spread of Greek learning among their inhabi- 
tants. In those days the Greek philosophy was 
divided into two main branches, each of which 
contained great philosophers and men of learning. 
First was the Platonic philosophy, which was 
founded upon abstaining from physical luxuries 
and perfecting spiritual virtues. That is, a seeker 
of perfection and of the highest degree of ad- 
vancement should forsake every material delight 
and shun worldly occupations; he should dwell in 
retirement and seclusion; should practice medi- 
tation, reflection and mortification, such as 
vigils, abstinence and perseverance in prayer and 
recitations. By this his spirit may ascend to the 
Supreme Kingdom, and, before his natural death, 
he may dwell in Heaven by suffering this kind of 
voluntary death. According to the terms and 
teachings of this philosophy, he may thus be asso- 
ciated and in close communion with the Divine 
Essence, the Identity of God. Apparently this 
kind of philosophy was transported to Greece 
from the Brahman ascetics of India, and by them 
injected into Greek Sabeanism. For during a 
long period the learned men of India have been 
renowned for this line of wisdom, and have been 
engaged in severe discipline, seclusion and retire- 
ment. 



9* His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

The second branch was the Aristotelian philos- 
ophy, which was based upon understanding the 
reality of things by proving and examining causes 
and reasons, and by resting upon rational argu- 
ments and logical syllogisms. This theory 
taught that men of learning, in order to become 
true philosophers, should trust in clear and con- 
clusive arguments, follow the reasons and causes 
of beings and effects, and look into the origin of 
things with the utmost freedom, in order that 
they may attain the knowledge of real facts. Ac- 
cording to the author's belief, this branch of 
learning was brought to the Greeks from the Per- 
sians. For it is an indisputable fact to the ori- 
ental historians, that when Alexander the Great 
of Macedonia subdued the Keyan Dynasty and 
conquered the Persian countries he commanded 
their Zoroastrian religious books, which, according 
to his belief, were contradictory to the Pagan Sa- 
bean religion, to be burnt and destroyed ; but their 
scientific books, which contained all sorts of learn- 
ing, he ordered to be sent to Greece. Ebn-Kaldoon 
of Maghreb, whom the European writers believe to 
be one of the most reliable historians of the 14th 
century, says in the 13th chapter of the 6th part 
of the first book of his well-known history, after 
speaking of the conquest of Sa'd-Ebn-Kakkas, the 
Arab general, over Persia, the fall of the Sassanide 
Dynasty, and the burning of the Persian books ac- 
cording to the command of the Mohammedan 
Khalif Omar, son of Khattab, as follows: — 
"Verily, this learning reached Greece from Persia 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 99 

when Alexander slew Darius, subdued the Keyan 
Dynasty, and disposed of an indescribable quan- 
tity of their books. When the land of Persia was 
conquered (in the days of Omar), and consid- 
erable numbers of books were found there, Sa'd- 
Ebn-Abi-Wakkas wrote to Omar for instructions 
to carry them to the Mussulmans. Omar 
wrote him orders to throw them into the water; 
for, he said, 'if these books contain guid- 
ance, God hath guided us to a greater guidance 
(the Koran), and if they are misleading, God hath 
protected us therefrom.' Then these books were 
thrown into the water and fire, and thus the Per- 
sian learnings were destroyed and did not reach 
us." 

When, according to historians, Christ appeared 
330 years after Alexander, and His blessed Cause 
subdued great nations through the Heavenly 
Power, a considerable number of pure souls from 
Greece, Rome, and Syria embraced His Religion. 
In those days Greek Philosophy had a great re- 
nown in Egypt and Syria. The famous schools of 
Alexandria were the headquarters of students, and 
the fame of the Platonists, Stoics, Academics, and 
Eclectics was extended throughout east and 
west. Consequently, when, in the 2d Century, 
some of these philosophers, including Athenago- 
ras, Pantaenus, Clemens and other great men, 
were converted, they became the most famous 
Christian philosophers. Among them was Am- 
monius Saccas, the founder of the celebrated 
School of Alexandria, who remained a Christian 
tLeFC. 



ioo His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

up to his death. Also Justin, who, owing to his 
abundant knowledge, purity of character and good 
deeds, finally suffered martyrdom for the sake of 
his Faith. As Platonism was believed by these 
great philosophers to be the nearest to the purity 
and chastity of Christianity, they thought it con- 
formable to the manner of Christian worship, and 
introduced it into that Religion. They frequently 
encouraged their pupils in private worship, to live 
in seclusion and in deserts, and instructed them as 
well as all the Christians, in the doctrines of Plato ; 
demonstrating the Essence of God, the state of the 
soul after leaving the body, and in his teachings 
concerning angels, etc. Thus Platonic philosophy 
became gradually the accepted belief of Christian 
people. Asceticism and abstinence from worldly 
occupations was deemed the most excellent act of 
worship. As people do not usually practice moder- 
ation in anything, but carry every habit and cus- 
tom to excess, either through prejudice, love of 
notoriety, or by inadvertence, this indulgence in 
asceticism and self mortification finally waxed so 
great that a considerable number in Europe, Asia, 
and Africa, notably in Egypt and Syria, went into 
the wilderness, and wandered in plains and deserts 
like wild beasts, without any fixed dwelling-place. 
Most of them lived upon herbs, shrubs, roots, and 
the barks of trees. Finally, monkhood grew out of 
this great spiritual wisdom, — the Platonic philoso- 
phy, — and numerous classes of monks and her- 
mits were founded. In the 4th Century these 
monks were particularized by distinctive names. 






His Holiness Beha-Ullah. "i 

Such were the Cenobites, who lived and ate to- 
gether in the same house and worshipped in com- 
pany; the Eremites, who led a solitary life, dwel- 
ling in hovels or cells; the Anchorites, called 
Vagrants, who roamed about desert places with 
no kind of shelter and made their living without 
labor, by pretended miracles, theft and other im- 
positions, not averse to any kind of corruption or 
sin. During the 5th Century the chief among 
these classes laid down certain regulations for 
themselves, and became known by the name Au- 
gustinians and Basilians. Likewise, century after 
century, new names and branches of heretical be- 
liefs were established, such as the Benedictines, 
etc. In the 6th Century this order had such 
great renown that, according to the record of 
Moshein, whole armies of monks were enrolled 
in it. The orders of Dominicans, Franciscans, 
Capuchins, Carmelites and Mystics were also es- 
tablished in the mediaeval centuries of Christian- 
ity. Their deeds and customs are clearly recorded 
in church histories. The Dominican monks led 
the horrible Council of Inquisition in burning and 
destroying hundreds of thousands of persons and 
in confiscating and pillaging the property of one 
million widows and orphans. These monks, in 
hard-heartedness and atrocity, far surpassed Gen- 
ghiz and Tamerlane, who left such evil records in 
history. Later, the order of Jesuits, the records of 
whose lives are medleys of light and dark- 
ness, benefits and losses, was founded. The 
Jesuits were an object of awe to the govern- 



102 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

ment and people, whose thoughts were occupied in 
preserving themselves against this numerous and 
impertinent army of monks. The introduction of 
Sufi'ism into Islam also resulted from the Platonic 
philosophy. In the first and second centuries of 
Mohammed, His religion was promulgated in 
vast and extensive countries of Asia, Africa and 
some parts of Europe. The tyrannical, usurping 
Arab Khalifat then gained its importance and 
prevalence. Abbaside Khalifs in the east and the 
Omayad Khalifs in the west, as well as their sub- 
ordinate kings and princes, exerted themselves to 
the utmost in spreading learning and sciences and 
in the increase of culture and the arts. The object 
of this was both to satisfy the people's need of 
knowledge and to protect their dominion from de- 
cline and downfall. Especially Ma'moon-el-Rashid, 
the most valiant, cultured and famous of the Kha- 
lifs, assembled a meeting of men of learning at 
Baghdad, and commanded them to translate into 
Arabic the scientific books of the philosophers of 
Greece, Persia and Chaldea. He indicated more 
especially the Greek text-books upon nature, the- 
ology, medicine, ethical philosophy, astronomy, 
geometry, etc. Consequently, the Aristotelian and 
Platonic systems were introduced into Islam in 
like manner as into Christianity, and were taught 
by the Mohammedan doctors under the names of 
Illuminati and Peripatetic. This divided the re- 
ligion into numerous sects. From the scientific 
philosophy held by the followers of Aristotle, 
which is based upon argument and demonstration, 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 103 

appeared the different sects of Mo'tazaleh, Karra- 
meyeh, and Ash'arieh. From the ethical philoso- 
phy of Plato, which taught seclusion and absti- 
nence from worldly affairs and luxuries, appeared 
the Sufis and Illuminati. Also different sub- 
classes and branches appeared from Sufi'ism, 
such as Kadareyeh, Shazeleyeh, Naksh-bendeyeh, 
Cheshteyeh, etc., among the Sunnites ; and the Je- 
lalis, Nemat 'Ullahis, Haydaris, Aveysis and others 
among the Shi'ites. On one hand, the appearance 
of these sects in Islam caused the fall and extinc- 
tion of other useful sciences, such as physics, as- 
tronomy, geometry and geography; and on the 
other hand, they entailed wars and administrative 
divisions. Thus were created heretical beliefs and 
abominable practices. Men were led to seeking 
help from Sufi Sheiks and leaders, giving rise to 
spurious claims to Mahdihood. In short, Sufi'ism 
brought the same calamities and evils into Islam, 
which were caused by monkhood in Christianity. 
Although monkhood occasioned civil wars and re- 
ligious disasters in Christianity, yet a great many 
of the learned monks left worthy memorials in the 
Christian world, and different branches of sciences 
and arts were indebted to their labors and 
writings. Maltibran, the Frenchman, writes in 
his Geography as follows: — 

"The perfection of the science of Geography 
and the removal of former mistakes, appeared 
from the habit of the monks." Thus this writer 
has acknowledged their labors. Those who study 
the general history of the world clearly realize 



*°4 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

the great pains and efforts put forth by learned 
monks in upholding and spreading Christianity, in 
eradicating fictitious Pagan beliefs, and in writing 
excellent scientific books. But from the 7th Cen- 
tury A. H. onward, nothing appeared from the 
dervishes and Sufis, except smoking hashish, inac- 
tivity, mendicancy, indolence, seclusion, public and 
private recitations, playing tambourines, ridicu- 
lous dances, etc., instead of acts of worship. 

To set forth the life and circumstances of each 
one of these classes would need special volumes, 
so that their historical result might be clearly real- 
ized by men of discernment, and the minds of well- 
informed people be awakened. 

The above-mentioned points show the effects 
which followed the appearance of monkhood and 
Sufi'ism in the Divine Religions, and enable us to 
realize the great Bounty of God the Exalted, who 
has forbidden these corruptions during this Mani- 
festation. For if the prohibition of invented wor- 
ships and asceticism had been clearly revealed in 
the Heavenly Books of former nations, people 
would never have introduced such things into Di- 
vine Religion, nor would they have practised se- 
vere discipline or ascetic acts which were not com- 
manded in the Divine Word. 

One point that must not pass unnoticed by the 
men of learning is, that what has been mentioned 
concerning the abominable acts of the Christian 
monks and Mohammedan Sufis, does not refer to 
all of them. For there is no doubt that among 
them have appeared a few in every century who 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. i°5 

have been engaged in worship and devotion with 
all sincerity of intention and purity of mind ; men 
who have occupied themselves in a God-like spirit 
to educate youth and to beautify both their own 
character and that of others. Therefore the Lord 
Beha-Ullah has revealed passages in some of His 
Tablets, the essence of which is as follows : — 

"Those devouts and disciplined ones who, sin- 
cerely, for the sake of God, have practised separa- 
tion (from the world) and devotion ; all their deeds 
and devotional acts have attained the acceptance 
of God the Exalted. But they must henceforth 
leave cells of retreat for the open (ordinary 
dwellings), and be occupied in that which will 
profit people. Nor must they refrain from mar- 
riage which causes procreation and multiplication 
of the servants (of God)." 

To sum up; during this Holy Manifestation, 
clear laws and regulations have been instituted 
concerning the deeds and actions of men, so that 
the servants (of God) may act with clear percep- 
tion under all circumstances, and that they may 
not be tempted or deluded by the imaginations, 
superstitions and theological vagaries of the igno- 
rant doctors and divines. Beha-Ullah has com- 
manded the people of Beha to refer to the Book 
for the rules of action, devotion and conduct. But 
there is a certain class of laws which must vary 
according to the differences of times and circum- 
stances. These laws, He has commanded, shall 
be instituted by the Houses of Justice (established 
in every country, city and government), according 



io6 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

to the necessities of the times. He has made obe- 
dience to these laws obligatory, so that Religion 
may not become a plaything of divines and 
of those who seek leadership. To fully set 
forth these points is far beyond the limits of this 
short account, but, God willing, they will be ex- 
plained in full particulars, at some future date. 

No such effect as that produced by the Divine 
Verses of this Great Manifestation, in attracting 
the hearts and souls of men, has been witnessed in 
any former Manifestation and past religion. For 
the Word of God proved so effective in those who 
believed in it, that they endured all sorts of calami- 
ties, gave up their lives, and were bathed in their 
own blood, without recanting or lamenting. To 
reflect upon this will also make men realize how 
much greater is this cause than that of former 
Manifestations. For during the Manifestations of 
Moses and Christ no one ever gave his life for the 
sake of the Lord, while the Sun of Truth was 
shining and the Manifestation of God lived among 
men. But in this Manifestation people vied with 
each other in offering their lives, and displayed 
the utmost endurance and composure in the time 
of persecution. They sacrificed themselves with 
all cheerfulness and joy, in love for the "Beloved 
of the creatures. ,, For instance; in the earlier 
years after Beha-Ullah's declaration, they arrested 
a youth of Zanjon, by name Mirza Nejef Ali, who 
was a messenger of Beha-Ullah. He was on his 
way from Kashan to Teheran, accompanied by a 
dervish whom he supplied with food and travelling 



His Holiness Beha-Ullah. i°7 

expenses. When they reached Teheran the der- 
vish informed the Government that a Behai mes- 
senger had arrived with mails. Accordingly he 
was arrested, branded with red-hot irons for sev- 
eral days and afflicted with all kinds of torture. 
Finally, as he would neither deny his religion nor 
recant, they beheaded him and dragged his corpse 
along the ground to the place of the gallows. In 
each year similar cases occurred, which served but 
to attract the hearts of the people. 

A very striking event which happened later was 
the martyrdom of Wargha and his little son Mirza 
Rouha'llah. It is a matter of amazement to men 
of perception, when they reflect upon the great 
self-restraint and endurance of these two holy 
souls and the hard-heartedness of the wicked. 
Wargha the Martyr was learned and a venerable 
man, expert in medical science and well versed in 
literature and composition. He wrote poetry in 
Persian with the utmost elegance and beauty. 
Wargha and his little son Mirza Rouha'llah were 
arrested while on their way to Teheran, in the year 
1896, for no other reason than being Behais, and 
put in chains in the royal prison of Teheran. The 
child, although only eleven or twelve years old, 
had been educated and trained by his father and 
was very intelligent. During the month of May 
in the same year, Jaffar Kuli Khan, entitled 
"Hajib-ed-Dawla," the chief of the prison, without 
the knowledge of the Government, went one day 
to the jail with several executioners, and com- 
manded them to bring Wargha before him. In 



i°8 His Holiness Beha-Ullah. 

the presence of the little boy they forced the head 
of that great man into the hole of a torturing ma- 
chine, constructed of blocks of wood and thick 
rods of iron ; an apparatus in which they fasten the 
feet of criminals in Persia. Then they cut his 
body into pieces with a poniard. After having in 
this way executed Wargha, Jaffar Kuli Khan told 
the little son to repudiate his father's religion, 
promising that he would then appoint him to a 
high position with the sons of the Shah ; otherwise 
he would cause him to share the same fate which 
his father had met before his eyes. Mirza Rou- 
ha'llah, whose face shone with the light of joy and 
happiness, expressing the spirit of steadfastness 
and reverence, refused this proposal with the 
greatest fervency and promptness, saying he 
would by no means waver from the right path or 
reject the Divine Religion for the sake of the tran- 
sient life of this world and its fleeting honors. 
Finally, they martyred the innocent child and con- 
cealed both mutilated corpses in a private place. 
Scarcely a year passes without similar dreadful 
events occurring in Persia, and the blood of these 
people is still shed for the sake of the Behai Re- 
ligion. Even in 190-1, three Behais were mar- 
tyred in a shocking manner in Abargoo, situated 
between Yezd and Isfahan.* 



•The names of these three, the full particulars of their martyrdom 
and the Tablets revealed for them by the Master, were sent to me in 
Feb., 1902, from Akka. By the Master's command I have translated 
and will publish them in a separate pamphlet. — Translator. 



His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 

As to the birth and life of our Lord Abdul-Beha 
(Glorified is His Name) : — He was born in Te- 
heran, on the 5th day of the month Jamadi-ul- 
Aval, 1260 A. H. (May 23d, 1844); the same day 
in which the First Point (Exalted is His Supreme 
Name) had declared Himself. He was reared in 
that city under the training of Beha-Ullah. The 
author has heard from His own blessed lips, as 
well as from many others, that He very often suf- 
fered persecution and execrations, while yet a 
child, from the fanatics of Teheran, during the dis- 
asters which followed the Appearance of the Bab. 
When Beha-Ullah was in chains in the Prison of 
Teheran, Abdul-Beha visited Him. During the 
time Beha-Ullah resided at Baghdad by com- 
mand of the Persian Government, 1269 A. H. 
(1852-1853), His Holiness the Master was in His 
service and constantly in His Presence. 

Although He had not studied in any school, yet, 
from His youth, fountains of knowledge flowed 
in His fluent explanations. The first trace which 
emanated from His Holy Being in the world of 
knowledge was the treatise He wrote in His early 
youth at Baghdad. This was a commentary upon 
the holy tradition : — "I was an invisible Treasury ; 
as I loved to be known, therefore I created men to 
know Me." He wrote this commentary in answer 

109 



no His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 

to the request of one of the Pashas. The author 
was present at a meeting, when some one asked 
Haji-Seyd-Jawad Taba-Tabay of Kerbela con- 
cerning the life of Beha-Ullah. The great Seyd 
answered : — "That Holy Being must be a Shining 
Light whose great Son hath written such a treatise 
during his childhood." By this the learned Seyd 
meant that while it is impossible even for a scholar 
to show forth such great knowledge, how much 
more impossible would it be for a person to write 
such a treatise in his childhood without having 
studied. Therefore, such knowledge is heavenly 
and not earthly; it is Divine wisdom, not human, 
and it owes its origin to the Holy Spirit of God. 
Thus, even in His childhood, the signs of grand- 
eur and dignity were manifest from His brow and 
He showed forth phenomenal intelligence and wis- 
dom. His wonderful speech in explaining ab- 
struse points, astonished men of intelligence, and 
His marvellous eloquence everywhere attracted 
hearts and souls. His acute judgment was a bril- 
liant lamp in elucidating intricate obscurities and 
His penetrative discernment in managing and de- 
ciding different affairs, improved the condition of 
young and old. He was the companion of Beha- 
Ullah, and the sharer of His afflictions during His 
successive banishment from Baghdad to Constan- 
tinople, thence to Adrianople, and finally to 
Akka. All the people of Beha resorted to Him in 
their difficulties and obeyed His decision. 
More especially during the twenty-four years of 
Beha-Ullah's residence at Akka, the troubles of 






His Holiness Abdul-Beta. «" 

Abdul-Beha were so great that no one but Him- 
self could have endured such calamities. The very 
fact that Akka was a place of exile for Turkish 
suspects and prisoners, meriting the name "Great 
Prison," given to it by the Supreme Pen, is a suffi- 
cient testimony of the tribulations and vicissitudes 
which Abdul-Beha has suffered. For, as we have 
formerly remarked, Beha-Ullah, during His resi- 
dence at Akka, would not, as a rule, converse with 
any save the Beha'is, unless some one especially 
asked permission to visit Him. His Holiness 
Abdul-Beha, however, held intercourse with all the 
men of different religions, aims, tastes, characters, 
and degrees, and each one would submit to Him 
his individual wishes. Consequently, different 
classes and nationalities of Moslems, Christians, 
Behais, Arabs and Turks, as well as Persians be- 
longing to the governing and learned classes, — 
likewise great merchants and people of the lower 
orders, — visited Him from early morning until 
midnight. Some of them sought His presence for 
the benefit of His spiritual explanation; others 
for their personal affairs and requests. Any one 
informed upon the manners of oriental govern- 
ments, and thoroughly acquainted with the condi- 
tions of the inhabitants of those countries, will re- 
alize the great difficulties which surrounded that 
Holy Being. He, under all circumstances, would 
receive the people with a cheerful face, and en- 
deavor as far as possible to grant their wishes and 
assist them. Even in the present day, His Holi- 
ness is the resort of the people of that land, and all 



"2 His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 

refer their wishes and hopes to Him. He is a phy- 
sician to every invalid, a shelter to every exile, a 
refuge to every seeker for help, and a dispeller of 
sorrow to every grieved soul. As God knows and 
witnesses, the author, during the ten months he 
stayed as guest in His beneficent shelter, can tes- 
tify that even those fettered in the jail and de- 
prived of seeing the daylight, received His bene- 
fits and favors; and exiles forsaken in the cells of 
oblivion were visited by Him. These excellent 
characteristics were inborn in Him, and no one 
can show forth such virtues through imita- 
tion or pretence. Even the greatest men in 
the world could not manifest their like. There is 
an old proverb: — "Nothing manufactured is like 
unto the natural." 

Abdul-Beha was named Mirza-Abbas after His 
grandfather, but subsequent to their arrival at 
Baghdad He was called "His Holiness the 
Master." After the declaration of the "Blessed 
Perfection," He was given several lofty titles by 
Him, such as "Sir 'Ullah" ("Mystery of God"), 
"Gusn 'Ullah 'El-A'zam" ("Greatest Branch of 
God"). By these titles He was addressed ver- 
bally and in writing by Beha-Ullah and all the be- 
lievers. 

In the earlier days of Beha-Ullah's declaration, 
the blessed Book of Akdas was revealed. This is 
considered the greatest book of the Behais, and 
contains all the Divine Laws and Ordinances. 
The following irrefutable command was revealed 
therein : — 



His Holiness Abdul-Beha. "3 

"When the sea of (My) meeting sinks, and the 
book of the Origin is achieved to the end, turn ye 
your faces to 'He who is desired by God'; the 
One who is extended from this Ancient Root." 
Likewise it is recorded in another part of the same 
Book: — "When the Nightingale soareth from the 
grove of Praise, and repaireth to the furthermost 
concealed Destination, refer ye that which you un- 
derstand not from the Book, to the Branch ex- 
tended from this Firm Root." Thus all the people 
of Beha were informed of the One who will be the 
"Center of the Cause of God" and their resource, 
after the disappearance of the "Sun of Truth" and 
the departure of the Beauty of Oneness. Thus 
they have hope in and rely upon this Providence 
shown forth by God the Exalted to them. They 
recognize in Abdul-Beha the Expounder of the 
Divine Book and the Solver of the intricate points 
of the Heavenly Revelation; whose decision is 
conclusive; through whose explanation every dis- 
cord and divergence is removed, and the seekers 
are brought to perfect realization, accord and af- 
finity. They thank and praise God the Exalted, 
and manifest the utmost joy and happiness at His 
Appointing the Resort of the Cause of God. To 
the people of Faith, the clear appointment of the 
Center of the Cause, after the Departure of the 
Manifestation, is considered the most important 
point in religious matters, as it is the greatest 
channel which connects the servants of God with 
Holy and Divine Truth. For it is only through 
His explanation and decision that all discord is 



u4 His Holiness Abdul-Beha, 

removed. Consequently the Beha'is appreciate 
the determining of the "Appointed Center" as the 
greatest of the Divine Providences, and account 
His blessed Being as an impregnable fortress 
which protects the Divine Religion from the 
doubts of the sceptic and fanciful imaginations of 
men. They were all sure and convinced that the 
purpose of God the Exalted, in these two blessed 
Verses, has been no other than His Holiness the 
Lord Abdul-Beha; for, apart from the Divine 
signs that were manifest in Him, Beha-Ullah 
clearly and implicitly, verbally and in writing, di- 
rected all of His servants to the blessed Person of 
Abdul-Beha, and, under all circumstances, clearly 
showed that He was far distinguished above 
others, in order that all the servants should look 
unto Him alone, and follow His Commands. But 
notwithstanding all this, as Beha-Ullah foresaw, 
that when His Beauty of Oneness was concealed 
under the veils of disappearance, the people of 
desire, through jealousy, would hold to ground- 
less doubts and suspicions, and, disregarding the 
prohibition to interpret the Book, would divert 
the real meaning of the two verses above quoted, 
away from the 'Appointed Center. ,, He, there- 
fore, prior to His Departure, revealed the blessed 
Kitab-el-A'hd (Book of the Covenant, the Will of 
Beha-Ullah). This He wrote, and sealed it with 
His own blessed Hand and Seal, in order that the 
darkness of discord might not again obscure the 
brilliant Horizon of the Cause of God, and the ca- 
lamities and disasters which afflicted other re- 



His Holiness Abdul-Beha. ^5 

ligions might not overtake this movement. In this 
Book (His Covenant) He clearly indicated that 
the purpose of the "Branch extended from the 
Ancient Root," revealed in the blessed Verse of 
Akdas, was the Center of the Circle of Names, the 
Exalted Branch of the Blessed Tree of Abha, His 
Holiness Abdul-Beha. Then He, for the second 
time, enjoined, through an unchangeable and irre- 
futable command, all His "branches," "twigs," 
"relatives" and the people of Beha without excep- 
tion, to look unto that Dawning-place of Divine 
Light, and to know Him as the Source and Origin 
of the commands and prohibitions of the Heavenly- 
Religion. He desired, by this clear elucidation, to 
counteract the imaginations of the ignorant, ex- 
tinguish the world-consuming flame of the jeal- 
ousy and hatred of people of error, and guard the 
Divine Religion from divisions and sects which 
are, according to the judgment of common sense 
and the clear texts of the Holy Tablets of God, the 
most deplorable for religion and humanity. By 
this He sought to preserve the Divine Word from 
human doubts, suspicions and artifices. 

But alas! All these clear texts of God, com- 
manding people to turn to the Day-spring of the 
Light of the Covenant, did not check the evil 
thoughts of the people of discord; and His re- 
peated exhortations and advices did not soften 
the hard hearts of the men of hostility, nor prevent 
them from ruinous discords and divisions. For 
when, in May, 1892 A. D. (2nd Zul-Ka'da, 1309 
A. H), Beha-Ullah ascended to His Most Holy 



"6 His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 

Station, and nine days after His Departure, the 
Book of the Covenant of God was chanted in the 
Holy Tomb in the Assembly of Believers, the gloom 
of animosity and disappointment became instantly 
manifest upon the faces of those who had ground- 
less pride and desire for leadership, and who 
sought to raise discord and contradiction. On 
the other hand, cheerfulness and joy were mani- 
fest in the shining faces of those who had no de- 
sire but that of seeking the Truth and telling the 
Truth. Some were seated upon the right hand of 
certainty, firmness and steadfastness in the solid 
covenant of God, and some stood upon the left 
hand of unhappiness, in their impossible desire 
and erroneous thoughts. The former became dis- 
tinguished for their firmness and inflexibility; 
noted for the effectiveness of their word, their 
good name and success in assisting the cause, 
while the latter were distinguished by their insta- 
bility, degradation and shame. From that day, 
the thorn of violating the "Covenant of God" grew 
in the Garden of the Behai community and the 
signs of senseless hatred and hostility proceeded 
from a limited number of persons who are known 
as the "Nakezeen" (violators of the Covenant). 
The one community of Beha-Ullah which was as 
the breeze of Paradise and the fragrance of the 
morn of Providence, free from the foul odors of 
animosity and discord, became divided through 
the evil intrigues of these few, and the Holy 
Word which He had strictly forbidden to be 
altered or transposed, became colored with the 



His Holiness Abdul-Beha. "7 

dark doubts and false interpretations of those hos- 
tile men. They spread many false and insignifi- 
cant pamphlets for the purpose of creating doubts 
and sedition, and put forth all sorts of untrue accu- 
sations and calumnies. They cursed and insulted 
the visitors to the Holy Tomb of the Blessed Per- 
fection, and made the Holy Threshold, — which is 
the Point of prayer and supplication, the Sacred 
House of commune and invocation, — as a place 
for distressing and confusing hearts. Finally, it 
was feared that some of the youthful believers 
would no longer be able to endure the evil tongues 
and cursing of the Nakezeen, and a disturbance 
might arise which would be contrary to the tran- 
quil disposition of the Behais and would desecrate 
the Holy Tomb. Consequently His Holiness Ab- 
dul-Beha asked the local Government to supply a 
guard to accompany the Believers upon the days 
of visiting the Holy Tomb, so that they might be 
protected from unseemly disturbance and be able 
to engage in prayer and devotion with composure. 
Although these people who violated the Covenant 
received, during the life of Beha-Ullah and 
after His Departure, every kindness and favor 
from His Holiness Abdul-Beha, who con- 
sidered their welfare and prosperity before His 
own and that of the faithful believers, yet, on ac- 
count of jealousy and selfishness, they violated 
the cause of God. Thus came to pass that 
which was prophesied by the Prophets, — especially 
Christ, — concerning the people of the right hand 
and the people of the left hand ; and each will re- 



"8 His Holiness Abdul-Beha. 

ceive the reward of his deeds according to the 
justice of God. Two important points increased 
the flame of the fire of jealousy in the hearts of 
these Nakezeen, whose number does not exceed 
thirty. One was that the Behais of all countries 
refused to accept the seditious books and pam- 
phlets forwarded to them by the Nakezeen. Ac- 
cording to the command of Beha-Ullah, they 
unanimously determined not to pay any attention 
to these intrigues and temptations, but took shel- 
ter, with the utmost union and harmony, under the 
banner of the Center of the Covenant. Another 
point was that during a short space of time the 
cause of God became far more widely spread than 
before, through the fluent pen and brilliant expla- 
nations of Abdul-Beha ; so the number of the Be- 
hais became enormously multiplied since the de- 
parture of Beha-Ullah. The fame of the Dawn- 
ing Place of the Light of the Covenant spread 
throughout all regions, and His Holy Tablets be- 
came scattered as rose-petals throughout all coun- 
tries. His Great Name filled the world with 
awe and the renown of His glorious deeds reached 
all in the east and west. Therefore, the people 
of hostility and violation availed themselves of po- 
litical machinations, and disturbed the minds and 
thoughts of fanatical men in those lands, until, 
finally, in 1901, the great imprisonment was re- 
newed and the life of Abdul-Beha became subject 
to the same disasters which formerly befell Beha- 
Ullah. As this extraordinary happening (the vi- 
olation by the Nakezeen) is one of the most aston- 



His Holiness Abdul-Beha. "9 

ishing events which human prejudice has ever cre- 
ated in the world, and the author has not now 
sufficient time to give it in detail, he confines him- 
self to this short account, while begging God to 
enable him to write the full particulars at a future 
time, and to bring it to the notice of the righteous. 



Exordium. 

In the Name of God, The Clement, The Mer- 
ciful! O ye just ones! Verily, I praise for you 
our Lord the Behi-Ul-Abha, and offer the most 
excellent homage and exaltation to His Beauty, 
The Most Luminous, The Most Holy, The Ex- 
alted, The Supreme; and I salute and glorify the 
excellent Branch which is extended from the Ex- 
alted Tree, the blessed "Sadrat," planted in the 
center of the "Paradise of perpetual abode" ; the 
Lord of mankind and the Possessor of the hearts 
of the prudent. The hearts of the righteous are 
forever turned unto Him, and the heads of the 
holy ones are humbled before Him, so long as the 
sun is shining from heaven; to Him the Birds of 
Sanctity are warbling hymns of glorification and 
praise. 

An illustrious Command hath issued from the 
Holy Court, that I should compile for you a book 
for the solution of the allegories of the Heavenly 
Scriptures and interpretation of the intricacies in 
the texts of the Divine and Holy Writings. To 
discover their hidden facts, explain the meanings 
of their symbols, open their seals, reveal their pur- 
port, and unveil their treasures; so that the gems 
of their mysteries may sparkle forth, and their 
precious and peerless pearls may gleam; this, 
then, shall be the motive of my humble endeavor, 



Exordium. I21 

the measure of my privilege and the witness of my 
obedience to the revered and authoritative Com- 
mand emanating from the Court of Holiness. 

By your life, O ye noble, just ones ! This glo- 
rious Command hath indeed moved and rejoiced 
me. The receipt of this praiseworthy Mandate 
hath fortified and encouraged me to arise in com- 
pliance with the blessed and honorable Command, 
and overcome the manifold difficulties which in- 
tervene to prevent the fulfilment of this impor- 
tant and serious work. 

Verily, all the Heavenly Books, Writings and 
Texts are songs sung by the Birds of Holiness, in 
the praise of our Lord El-Abha; hymns warbled 
by the Doves of Harmony, proclaiming the signs 
of His Beloved Manifestation ; verses and rhythms 
uttered by the Tongues of Prophets, declaring the 
tokens of the Hour of the greatest Resurrection ; 
melodies chanted in the assemblies of the people 
of Sanctity, clearly indicating the Day-Spring of 
the Lights of His Covenant and Testament, The 
Most Mighty, The Supreme. How excellent, 
then, is the mentioning and explanation thereof J 
How delightful is the interpretation and solution 
thereof ! How sweet is the recital and elucidation 
thereof \ 

For this Day is no other than the end of the 
ages; no other than the illumination of the hori- 
zons of earth, both east and west, with the Lights 
of the Forgiving Lord ; no other than the chang- 
ing of darkness into light, and of sorrow into joy 
and gladness; whereby hearts are cheered, souls 



i22 Exordium. 

are tranquilized, eyes are consoled and breasts 
are dilated. This is the Day of God. 

Consequently we take the pen and commence 
our treatise, relying, under all circumstances, upon 
God the Exalted ! We beseech His Lofty Thresh- 
old to render easy unto us the accomplishment of 
this glorious work, and vouchsafe the ability to 
achieve it in perfect form, with speed. 

Now we place before our beloved ones certain 
Introductions which may help them to apprehend 
the above-mentioned hidden and veiled meanings, 
and understand the symbolic aims which have been 
sealed, during generations, since olden times. 



First Introduction. 

Explaining briefly "The Day of God" and the 
realization of the mighty "Hour" ("Day of Judg- 
ment"). 

O ye people of Beha and companions of the 
Red Ark ! Know — may God the Exalted assist ye 
through a spirit sent from Him ! — Verily, when ye 
consider carefully the announcements in the Heav- 
enly Books and perceive the glad-tidings in the 
Holy, Divine Writings, ye will find they agree in 
promising the coming of "the Day of God" and 
foreshadowing the arrival of the "Hour" wherein 
the Face of God will be manifested, the regions of 
heavens and earths will be illuminated by His com- 
ing, all former things will be changed by His rising, 
md every sorrow effaced. The essence of all that 
is recorded concerning these glad-tidings is this, 
that when oppression and tyranny prevail through- 
out the world; when distress and tribulations are 
intensified among the nations; when divergences 
of religions and creeds become grave and wide- 
spread, and the heaven of worship of the Merciful 
God is riven and overthrown; when the greed of 
souls grows fierce to violate men and property; 
when terrors and adversities prevail ; at that time 
the Divine Herald will arise, the Holy Heavenly 
Spirit will descend, announcing the coming of the 
Manifestation of the promised Lord and proclaim- 
ing the approach of the dawn of the Orb of His 

123 



I2 4 First Introduction. 

Glorious Beauty. Then will the Path be made 
plain, hearts brought nigh unto God, breasts 
healed, griefs dispelled and tears wiped away. 
Then will the glorious Lord arise and utter a Call 
which shall shake the pillars of this lofty edifice. 
He will cry out in a voice which shall fill the ex- 
panse of the world and summon all the nations of 
the earth, both east and west, to God, The 
Mighty, The Glorious! Then will He institute 
for them new laws, and trace out for them a 
plain, direct path. 

And after the setting of the Sun of His Beauty, 
the breeze of His Presence being hushed, the 
Glorious Branch extended from the Tree of His 
Essence will arise; the dawning moon will shine 
from the horizon of the Heaven of His Bounty, 
diffusing the lights of His Religion, establishing 
the Temple of His Worship, and sitting upon the 
Throne of His Glory. His holy Word will pene- 
trate all regions until the saying be fulfilled, 
"The earth will be illuminated with the Light of 
its Lord, in the Day of Judgment. " 

With the rising of such Divine Souls and the 
shining forth of such Heavenly Lights, the clouds 
of fictitious beliefs will be dispersed and the pearls 
of the Realities of Knowledge will become mani- 
fest; religious divergences will be removed and 
nations will be united in worshipping the Merciful 
One. So the worship of Satan shall pass away. 
In that Day, God will "make all things new." Ev- 
erywhere, affairs will change, until all parts of the 
earth shall rejoice. Enlightenment, learning, arts 



First Introduction. 125 

and trades will become universal among mankind. 
The remote ones of the world will be brought 
nigh ; nations and peoples will be harmonized ; the 
rancours and animosities hidden in breasts shall 
be removed, and love, affection, attraction and 
brotherhood become general throughout the 
world. Then souls will be cheered by the wafting 
of the fragrances of joy, and hearts will rejoice at 
the blowing of the Breezes of Gladness. The 
Lord will destroy all vestiges of tyranny, oppres- 
sion and rebellion, through His Power, and will 
propagate evidences of Equity, Justice and Char- 
ity. 

He will judge between nations, render justice 
between people, correct souls and unite hearts. 
Then the time of spoiling will pass away, and the 
days of warring cease; the swords will be made 
into plough-shares, the spears into pruning- 
hooks ; no nation will raise sword against another, 
and no "multitudes will wage wars together." 

To resume; the Fragrances of Resurrection 
will stir and the Breezes of Life will blow; the 
dead will be quickened, the darkness of former 
things be dispelled, and the lights of ideal virtues 
will shine; the emblems of true humanity will be 
raised in all places, and the Lord of Heaven and 
Earth will illumine all regions, both east and west. 
These are some of the signs appointed as pertain- 
ing to the Day of God, and decreed for the Age 
of the Manifestation of God, which we have 
brought to your notice. Were ye to consider 
them with the eye of thoughtfulness and percep- 



I 26 First Introduction. 

tion, ye would find them facts clearly recorded in 
all the Books and Scriptures; written by the Pen 
of God during the bygone centuries and ages. 

Likewise, the clear judgment must consider the 
necessity for the fulfilment of these promises and 
the attainment of the world to its loftiest height. 
As this, our world is created spherical as to form 
and rotation, so likewise it is spherical in its physi- 
cal revolutions, such as ascent and descent, ad- 
vancement and recession, progress and decline, 
until God may allow its destruction and destine its 
extinction. This is what is interpreted by philoso- 
phers of Divinity to be the arc of ascent and de- 
scent of the circle of creation ; and by the natural 
philosophers to be the laws of development and 
retrogression. As in this age our world is upon 
the ladder of ascent, which fact is indisputably ac- 
knowledged by the philosophers and scientists; 
therefore it must needs ascend to its loftiest de- 
grees of perfection, and attain its point of equilib- 
rium. Far be it from the Divine Wisdom and 
the Sublime Heavenly Power to permit the leaves 
of the Book of the Universe to remain scattered, 
the Epistle of Creation mutilated, the ground of 
capacities fallow, and the trees of humanity fruit- 
less! Mankind must of necessity reach the lofti- 
est destination, the highest goal, the exalted 
grade and supreme station. 

The Guardians of the Divine Revelation 
(Prophets) have interpreted this station to be "Re- 
generation." 



First Introduction. "7 

Then, when ye, O people of Beha, carefully con- 
sider the world, ye will perceive that all the na- 
tions of the ancient world have been totally in- 
crusted by false worships of paganism and Sa- 
beanism; the darkness of imaginations and ficti- 
tious ideas has prevailed in every region, and en- 
tangling beliefs and evil customs accumulated in 
every clime. Inasmuch as the above-mentioned 
nations were ignorant of the meanings and orig- 
inal purposes of the texts revealed in the Heav- 
enly Books, such as ascent and descent, return 
and restitution, heaven and earth, sun, moon and 
stars, resurrection, death and life, and many sim- 
ilar words which were upon the lips of the proph- 
ets since the ancient days, and were uttered by 
the Tongue of God from the foundation of. the 
world ; and as they understood such words accord- 
ing to their literal sense; therefore these nations 
fell into the gulf of the fictitious beliefs of pagan- 
ism. Among these pagan notions were transmi- 
gration of souls, transformation of embodiments, 
worship of stars, animals and trees, services of 
genii, controlling spirits and other ruinous prac- 
tices and pernicious beliefs, — which facts are evi- 
dent to every informed historian, and to every 
student and archaeologist. As the gloom of 
fictitious and superstitious beliefs prevailed in all 
parts of the world ; as the clouds of ruinous prac- 
tices, the dusk of pernicious actions, densely en- 
wrapped all regions, and veils of suspicion hung 
upon every side; and as the earth was entirely 
covered by darkness upon darkness, therefore the 



128 First Introduction. 

prophets (peace be upon them!) have interpreted 
that long duration as the "gloomy night," and the 
time of its disappearance as the "bright morning," 
"the day when it shineth." 

The Great Lord Moses, the "Interlocutor," 
was the first one who arose in that dark and 
gloomy period, and announced to the Israelitish 
people the coming termination of that long night. 
He proclaimed the advent of the glorious "Day of 
God." He taught them the Unity of God ; made 
known to them the way of worshipping God ; im- 
planted in their hearts the expectation of the ar- 
rival of the "Day of God," and explained to them 
the signs, symbols, tokens and wonders thereof. 

So also in the past days, that "Abraham" who 
was entitled Zoroaster, appeared in Persian re- 
gions and taught the Parsee nation the worship 
of the merciful God, abolishing idolatry from 
among them, announcing the coming of the 
"Hour," reminding them of the future Resurrec- 
tion, explaining the signs and tokens thereof, and 
unveiling the appointed time. Moreover, he 
clearly stated to them that, verily, the sun of the 
promised Beauty should dawn from the horizon 
of the east, and that the blessed Sadrat would 
spring forth from a well-rooted tree of Persia. 
But, as at that time the darkness was overcoming 
the light, and the hours of gloomy night were still 
far from the dawning-place of Manifestation, the 
false imaginary beliefs and pernicious worship of 
paganism again prevailed even among the He- 
braic and Persian nations. Thus the worship of 



First Introduction. I2 9 

God was mingled with fire-worship, and the kings 
of Judea and Ephraim associated with nations 
rooted in paganism, such as the Egyptians, Phe- 
nicians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Greeks, because 
the latter had assumed dominion over the lands 
of Palestine and the inhabitants thereof. On this 
account the Hebrews were compelled to live under 
the laws of those governments, to obey their 
kings, adore their demons and worship their idols. 
Yet, among them, the Israelitish prophets, such 
as David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, and 
others (peace be upon them !), were, during fifteen 
hundred years, reminding the people of the com- 
ing of the "Day of God," and reviving hopes in 
their hearts of the "Manifestation of God." So 
these prophets were, in their cycles, as beaming 
stars which shone forth from the uttermost hori- 
zon of heaven; as lamps enkindled and aflame in 
the gloomy and obscure night. 

In that way many generations passed, until the 
glorious Saviour arose and the brilliant star 
dawned from the horizon of Galilee. Then the 
planet of the Son shone from among the posterity 
of Abraham, the melodies of the Gospels pealed 
forth and the descent of calamities upon the chil- 
dren of Israel drew nigh. Our Lord Christ (upon 
Him is Glory and Grandeur !) arose and cried with 
loudest voice: — "Repent ye, for the Kingdom of 
God is at hand !" "Awaken and be mindful ! The 
Hour of the Coming of the Kingdom of God ap- 
proacheth!" "Blessed are the pure in heart, for 
they shall see God!" "Blessed are the peace- 



130 First Introduction. 

makers, for they shall be called the children of 
God!" 

Likewise, during His lifetime, He was con- 
tinually reminding them of the approach of the 
"promised Day," renewing and establishing the 
Signs of the Appearance of the Beauty of the 
Adored One, which had been prophesied by the 
prophets of Israel. 

Christ declared that in "that Day" He will sit 
upon the right hand of His (the Father's) Throne ; 
will be authorized to make His commands effec- 
tive; will be established upon the Seat of His 
Glory, and become the shepherd of His sheep, 
through His Permission. He (Exalted is He!) 
heralded the approach of the Great Hour, the 
Mighty Day of Resurrection, until He ascended 
to the Supreme Friend. Then Apostles arose to 
spread His Cause and promote His Word, until 
now all the European regions are illuminated by 
the lights of His Command, and are becoming 
purified from the filth of paganism. 

Six centuries lapsed after the departure of 
Christ, until the Beams of Dawn appeared from 
Arabian horizons and the shining of Morning 
Light was transmitted from the direction of 
Hedjas. The greatest signs of the Hour appeared 
and the mightiest Tokens of the Day of Judg- 
ment became manifest. Mohammed arose, crying 
out with the loudest call : — "The Sentence of God 
will surely come (to be executed); wherefore do 
not hasten it." This voice was heard from 
heaven : — "The time of their accounts hath drawn 



First Introduction. '3 1 

nigh unto the people, while they are turning away 
therefrom." He clearly stated that the gloomy 
night had expired and the dawning of the Sun of 
Truth from the Supreme Horizon was at hand. 
Through the light of His word and the power of 
His prophethood He illumined great nations and 
multitudes, from the remotest parts of Africa to 
the distant east; peoples who knew nothing con- 
cerning Unity and had tasted no drop from the 
fountain of Oneness; those who had denied the 
Prophets and falsely accused the Chosen Ones. 
The Word of Mohammed and His prophetic testi- 
mony drove them out of the darkness of pagan- 
ism toward the Light of the Worship of God. 
Thus they were turned from denial of Prophets 
to belief in the line of holy messengers from Adam 
to Jesus the Spirit of God. Mohammed an- 
nounced to them the coming of the Day of God, 
and made with them a covenant to expect the de- 
scent of the Spirit (Christ) from the Heaven of 
the command of God. But He also clearly stated 
that the Precursor, who shall arise before His de- 
scent, to prepare the way before His coming, will 
come forth from His (Mohammed's) posterity; 
that through Him (Christ) God will fill the earth 
with equity after it had been filled with injustice, 
and illuminate all regions with justice after they 
had been darkened by tyranny. Then He estab- 
lished books of traditions and prophecies, and 
filled pages with signs and tokens. The earth of 
enlightenment rolled around its axis for 1260 
years, until the Hour drew nigh and the appoint- 



*3 2 First Introduction* 

ed time arrived. Then the Star of Guidance 
dawned, the Planet of Purity shone forth, the 
Fountains of Knowledge gushed out in one of the 
best lands of the Orient, and the Tree of Grace 
was ignited in the city of Shiraz, the chief town of 
the province of Fars. The Most Great Bab 
(Gate) arose, preaching to the multitudes and peo- 
ples, heralding again the expiration of the gloomy 
night, foreshadowing and clearly declaring the 
coming of the great and dreadful "Day of God." 
He raised this call betwixt the heaven and earth : — 
"Rejoice ! Rejoice 1 The Morn of Guidance hath 
indeed appeared, the gloomy night hath cleared 
away, and the Dawning of the Beauty of God, El- 
Abha is at hand. The spring-time of the Return 
of the Realities of Regeneration hath come." All 
regions trembled with this most sweet call and 
the Resurrection appeared through the supreme 
Message. The storms of oppression blew and 
the whirlwinds of rancour stirred in the breasts of 
religious doctors. Then the brilliant Flame was 
extinguished, the spiritual Fragrance ceased and 
the Beauty of the Merciful One was martyred in 
the city of Tabriz, the chief town of Azerbeyjan, 
under the sentence of a satanic and impious one. 
Calamities and afflictions appeared, animosity and 
malice showed forth and the dark clouds of dis- 
cord became violent; until the appointed time 
came and the Signs of the arrival of the "Day of 
God" were manifest in all directions. 

Then dawned ^the Sun of the Beauty of the 
Promised One ; then rose and beamed the Orb of 



First Introduction. 133 

the Face of the Adored One. The Hour arrived, 
the Resurrection came, the trumpet sounded and 
the dawn of the Manifestation shone forth. Beha- 
Ullah-El-Abha arose ; the Beauty of the Supreme 
God appeared and called out with a voice that 
filled all regions, causing the "seven strata of the 
earth" to tremble. Now the promised God hath 
indeed come, the Beauty of the Adored One hath 
appeared, the appointed Day of God hath dawned 
and His irrefutable and glorious Command hath 
arisen. The Lord hath descended in the shadow 
of clouds; the earth is shining with the Light of 
the Face of its Lord, the Bestower; the Bridge is 
extended, the Book is appointed, the curtain is 
lifted and the veil is removed. Showers of Verses 
have fallen, branches of Knowledge have put 
forth leaves and become flourishing in all direc- 
tions. The dead have arisen and the lifeless are 
resurrected. The rivers of Knowledge and en- 
lightenment have flowed from His Supreme Pen 
and He hath broken the seal of the "Sealed Wine" 
with His Generous Fingers. He hath explained in 
His Holy Tablets the realities of the Words of 
the Prophets, and hath disclosed in His precious 
Writings the meanings of the symbols of the 
Elect, until all the seals of the Prophets have been 
opened and the aims of the Messengers become 
unveiled to the possessors of pure hearts. He 
instituted new laws which are destined to unite all 
nations and multitudes; issued a glorious Com- 
mand which will bring together all religions and 
creeds, enjoined His Saints to love all nations 



*34 First Introduction. 

and exhorted them to serve all the people of the 
world. He enacted for them devotional ordi- 
nances, such as fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, alms- 
giving and other rites and ceremonies. He for- 
bade crimes and sins, such as murder, adultery, 
theft, backbiting, lying, calumny and other in- 
iquities and offences. He commanded them to 
submit to the laws of governments, urged them 
to obey kings and princes and to respect those 
who are good among the learned men and doc- 
tors. He exhorted them to universally spread en- 
lightenment, to educate their children of both 
sexes and absolutely prohibited them from that 
which may create oppression and hatred in the 
world. He forbade them from cursing, execra- 
tion, insult, strife, conflict and all that is calculated 
to separate hearts or perturb souls. He even for- 
bade them from carrying arms without the per- 
mission of rulers, and from everything that may 
cause confusion. 

During His last days He wrote the Kitab-el- 
Ah'd (The Book of the Covenant, Testament or 
Will) with His blessed Fingers, in which He 
clearly stated and appointed the "Center of the 
Covenant," directing peoples to the Orb of the 
Universe. In this Book He again exhorted His 
friends and followers to show forth good charac- 
teristics and noble attributes, so that there may 
appear pure and chaste souls among His believ- 
ers; shining and beaming stars in the heaven of 
His Cause. 



First Introduction. J 35 

Likewise, the torrent of His Verses and the 
shower of His Graces abundantly poured down, 
until the time of Disappearance drew nigh, and 
the Sun of Truth was concealed in the veil of Ab- 
sence. The Lord ascended to the Supreme Court 
of His Might, and His blessed Identity was hid- 
den in His Invisible, Furthermost Essence. This 
calamitous event and lamentable disaster hap- 
pened on the 2nd of the month Zi-Ka'da, 1309 A. 
H., which corresponds to the 16th of May, 1892 
A. D. 

When the Sun of Guidance was set and the 
rustle of the Sadrat-el-Muntaha hushed, then the 
Orb of the Covenant dawned and the "Moon" of 
the Testament appeared with the utmost bril- 
liancy and effulgence. The glorious "Branch ex- 
tended from the Ancient Root" arose to promote 
the Word of the King of the Day of Judgment, 
and now He is crying and heralding throughout 
all regions : — "The Judgment of God hath come ; 
respond ye, respond ye unto the Call of God! 
Hearken ye, hearken ye to the Melodies of God! 
Inhale ye the Fragrances of God! Be illumined, 
be illumined with the lights of the Face of Beha- 
Ullah! The promises of the Prophets have al- 
ready been fulfilled, the prophecies of the Messen- 
gers realized; the Day of Judgment hath come, 
and mankind hath stood before the Lord of the 
creatures !" 

After the breezes of the Testament had blown 
and the Fragrances of the Covenant wafted, the 
pure writings rapidly circulated and were spread 



x 36 First Introduction. 

throughout all regions ; just as the petals of roses 
are scattered in spring-time and light diffuses its 
effulgence ; souls were revived and breasts dilated ; 
"thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten 
thousand ministered unto Him," and all in the 
graves arose. Then the signs of violation ap- 
peared in the faces of the people of discord, and 
armies of retreat joined the ranks of the people of 
opposition. Souls were taken away and branches 
were cut down; those of the right hand were di- 
vided from those of the left hand ; the dwellers in 
hell-fire were distinguished from the abiders in the 
Exalted Heaven, and the suspicious were separat- 
ed from the people of Assurance. Blessed are 
those who attain! Glad-tidings unto those who 
are assured! 

O people of Beha and faithful ones ! Were ye 
to consider, for a third time, the utterances of the 
Prophets and the words of the Chosen Ones, ye 
will find that not one of those who appeared be- 
fore the Manifestation of Beha-Ullah has ever 
claimed to be the Greatest Manifestation of God 
who should come and pacify the World, — whose 
Day is the Day of God unanimously agreed upon 
by all nations and peoples. 

The Prophets and messengers are all manifes- 
tations of One Reality. This will be explained in 
the treatise upon "Unity." 

The qualities which differentiate the prophets 
and manifestations of God are their individual 
characteristics and peculiarities. These distin- 
guish them in their outward station and function 



First Introduction. 137 

of manifestation, but do not affect their inner sta- 
tion of Reality and Oneness with the All-Source; 
and pertain to the illumination manifest in them, 
but not to the Essence whence that illumina- 
tion proceeds and to which they all have the same 
relationship. Forasmuch as the Essence is hidden 
in its own Reality and incomprehensible in its own 
innermost Identity, therefore, in order to under- 
stand these matters, a seeker and striver after 
truth must needs consider that which every 
Prophet has explained in His Book concerning 
His station, and understand the names and titles 
which He has assigned to Himself. 

As to Moses and the Israelitish prophets (peace 
be upon them !), one fact is evident in their books 
and prophecies. If we study the Old Testament 
we find that after law, ordinances and some 
prophecies concerning Tyre, Sidon, Egypt, etc., 
the only thing recorded therein is but one solid 
and important message. It is this, that, verily the 
Israelitish Kingdom will be utterly destroyed in 
the Holy Land and the tribes will be scattered to 
all parts of the earth, where they will taste the bit- 
terness of lowliness and abasement, and undergo 
great affliction and terrible calamities. The days 
of their tribulations will be prolonged, as a conse- 
quence of their sins and crimes, until the coming 
of the Lord, when He will arise to save them from 
such extreme degradation, free them from cap- 
tivity, gather their scattered ones, restore to them 
their former abodes, and plant them in their or- 
iginal dwellings, — an abiding which will not be 



x 38 First Introduction. 

followed by any dispersion or removal, and a 
growth which will not undergo any extirpation or 
distress. 

The Book of every Prophet, without exception, 
contains clear warnings regarding the long degra- 
dation which will befall the Israelites; announces 
to them the coming of the Day of the Glorious 
Lord, and their deliverance from violent torture. 
Naught is heard from the books of the Old Testa- 
ment except the melodies of the Birds of Sanctity 
for the Manifestation of the Beneficent Lord ; the 
cooings of the Doves of Peace concerning the 
signs of that Great Day, and the deliverance of 
the Children of Israel from painful affliction. 
Therefore, it is not possible to consider the ap- 
pearances of these Prophets to be the Manifesta- 
tion of the Promised Lord, nor their days to be 
the Day of the Glorious Lord. 

As to Christ (Glory be to Him!), He did not 
claim that His appearance was that of God; nay, 
rather, He clearly stated Himself to be the Son 
of God. Neither did He claim His day to be the 
Day of God, but expressed Himself as a herald of 
its coming and approach, as is shown by His 
words: — "Repent ye, for the Kingdom of God is 
at hand." Nor did He announce to the Israelites 
any honor and dominion, but rather warned them 
against the approach of their long abasement and 
violent desolation, as is clearly shown in the Gos- 
pel of St. Matt. (ch. xxiii., 37-39): — "O Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and 
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often 



First Introduction. 1 S9 

would I have gathered thy children together, even 
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, 
and ye would not! Behold, your house is left 
unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall 
not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed 
is he that cqmeth in the name of the Lord." 

Whosoever studies and searches the texts of 
the Gospels and the Epistles of the Apostles, will 
find that they are all in perfect harmony with what 
is recorded in the books of the Israelitish proph- 
ets, regarding the coming of the Day of God, its 
signs and events. Therefore, it is not possible to 
interpret Christ's appearance into the words of the 
Israelitish prophets which announce the coming 
of the Glorious Day of God, the illumining of the 
earth with the lights of His Beautiful Face and 
emancipation of the Children of Abraham from 
their long degradation. 

As to Mohammed, His title, "the Seal of the 
Prophets," clearly demonstrates that His appear- 
ance was not the Manifestation of God, nor was 
His day the Day of God. He commanded the 
world of Islam to call out, five times a day, the 
formula, "I testify that, verily, Mohammed is the 
Messenger of God !" Moreover, one-third of the 
Koran consists of prophecies concerning the ap- 
proach of the Day of God's coming, and signs 
foreshadowing the near arrival of the Cause of 
God. 

As to the Most Great Bab, the glorious Precur- 
sor, the First Point, the Supreme Model (Glorified 
is His Most Mighty Exalted Name !), this is a suf- 



x 4o First Introduction. 

ficient fact, that He hath entitled Himself "the 
Bab/' which refers to His being the Gate of the 
Manifestation of God ; and He hath foreshadowed 
the coming of the Promised One in the name of 
"He whom God shall manifest." He has alluded 
to, nay rather, clearly stated in the 3d chapter of 
the sixth Unit of the Book of Beyan, that verily 
His Holiness the Promised One will appear at the 
term of 19 years after His own glorious Rise. In 
the same book He says His advent was to make 
the way straight before the Manifestation of God, 
and to prepare the path for the coming of "He 
whom God shall manifest." 

Consequently, on account of the facts that we 
have clearly explained, it is impossible to hold that 
the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures and the Di- 
vine Books are fulfilled in any other than Beha- 
Ullah-El-Abha, and in His Supreme and Most 
Holy Dawn. He (Exalted and Glorified is His 
Name!) hath alone claimed that, verily His Ap- 
pearance is the promised Manifestation of God, 
His Face is the Face of God the Adored, and His 
Day is the appointed Day of God. 

Prudent is he who considers this Supreme 
Truth and lofty Aim! Verily, unto God will be 
the end of all ! He is the Lord of the Next World 
and the present one ! 



The Second Introduction. 

Treating of the meaning of Divine Unity, the 
disagreement of the nations as to the way of un- 
derstanding It and the manner of Its demonstra- 
tion. 

O ye people of Beha! May God illumine your 
insight with the Lights shining from the Beha 
of His Face! Know, verily the nations have 
unanimously agreed in confessing the Oneness of 
the Essence of God the Exalted ; but learned doc- 
tors have disagreed in understanding its meaning 
and the explanation of its import. 

Verily the Pagans acknowledge and believe in 
the Oneness of God and in His Singleness, even as 
the Jews, Christians and the people of Islam have 
confessed. 

If ye should question any Buddhist, Brahamanist, 
or Sabean, concerning God the Exalted, he will, 
without consideration or hesitation, answer, that 
he believes in one God who is perfect in all His 
attributes and free from every imperfection; and 
that idols and images are no other than the visible 
representations of that Holy Essence; dawning 
places of that One Reality; channels through 
which the Divine Bounties are gained ; or interme- 
diaries for worshipping that Invisible Identity. 

These idols and images, as is known to the doc- 
tors of archaeology, are none other than images 
of men who arose in bygone days and instituted a 

141 



142 



The Second Introduction. 



belief or performed glorious deeds among the an- 
cient nations. As a confirmatory evidence of this 
statement, see Mosheim's "History of the 
Church" (Book L, Cent. L, Part I., par. 9):— 
"The greater part of the gods of all nations were 
ancient heroes, famous for their achievements and 
their worthy deeds; such as kings, generals, and 
founders of cities; and likewise females who were 
highly distinguished for their deeds and discov- 
eries, whom a grateful posterity had deified." 

It is clear, therefore, that the doctors, philoso- 
phers, priests and jurists first placed these idols 
and images in their temples and homes as memo- 
rials of their ancestors and heroes, to continue 
their remembrance, show their gratitude and do 
honor to their persons, until finally, visiting and 
paying homage to these images became a part of 
their worship, and adoration of them became an 
essential part of their religions. With the lapse 
of time their superstitions brought astonishing 
events and great performances, such as signs and 
miracles, into their worship of these images, as is 
witnessed by the usage of the common people in 
every religion. 

Briefly, the plurality of the gods of the idola- 
ters does not contradict their acknowledgment 
of the Oneness of God, even as the doctrine of 
Trinity, held by Christians, is not contradictory to 
their belief in the Unity and Singleness of God the 
Most High. Verily all the Christian peoples are 
of one accord in believing in the Oneness of the 
Essence of God, notwithstanding their belief in 



The Second Introduction. 143 

the plurality of the Trinity and the difference of 
names and meanings therein. 

It is evident from the Holy Scriptures that the 
ancient Sabeans considered their spiritual men as 
gods. To explain it more clearly; just as the 
Christians regard their illuminated exponents as 
"saints," and Mussulmans reverence their great 
spiritual men as "owleya" (holy ones), so likewise 
the Sabeans considered their heroes as gods. 
The purpose and meaning of the word "god" to 
idolaters is therefore the same as that intended 
by the word "saint" to the Christians, and as the 
title "holy ones of God" to Islam. This fact is 
proved by the verse of the Acts, ch. xxviii. : — "And 
when Paul (in the island of Melita) had gathered 
a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there 
came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his 
hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous 
beast hang on his hand . . . ; but after they had 
looked a great while, and saw no harm come to 
him, they changed their minds and said that he 
was a god." By this they meant that he was one 
of the "holy ones" of God, or one of the "saints," 
because they witnessed in him such an evident 
wonder; even as would be the case among vil- 
lagers and rustics of the present time. The same 
meaning is alluded to in the 1st verse of Psalm 
lxxxii., thus: — "God standeth in the congregation 
of the mighty ; he judgeth among the gods." This 
means that God the Exalted will stand, judge and 
rule in the congregation of the saints. This also 
corresponds perfectly with that which is revealed 



i44 The Second Introduction. 

in many other places in the Holy Scriptures ; such 
as in Jude, v. 14: — "Behold, the Lord cometh with 
ten thousands of His saints." It is also recorded 
in Psalm lxxxii, vs. 6, 7: — "I have said, Ye are 
gods; and all of you are children of the Most 
High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one 
of the princes." 

All these verses clearly indicate that by "gods" 
is meant "saints." The interpretation thereof is 
that verily God the Exalted wished that His Cho- 
sen Ones should possess piety and sanctity ; there- 
fore He elected them to be His holy ones; but 
they fell into tests, because, like other princes, 
they persisted in pernicious and ruinous ideas. 
By the two blessed verses is meant the chiefs of 
the Nakazeen (the violators of the Covenant) and 
the leaders of the companions of the "left hand," 
who are plunged into the depths of error. They 
claimed to be the sons of God, and that their Lord 
has chosen them for Himself ; but they have fallen, 
in violation of the Covenant of God. In the same 
Psalm, David (Peace be upon him!) has recorded 
prophecies concerning the Manifestation of God 
and referred to the signs of the Day of God; as is 
proved by the last verse: — "Arise, O God, judge 
the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations." 

It is, therefore, clearly evident that among the 
bygone peoples the word "god" signified "saints" 
to the Christians, and "holy ones" to the Mos- 
lems. This form was introduced into the verses 
of the Holy Scriptures and used by the Israelitish 
prophets in some passages to which we have al- 



The Second Introduction. *45 

luded when quoting the verses of the Psalms; in- 
asmuch as this was, in those days, one of the 
prevalent words or usual terms adapted from idol- 
aters and Sabeans. The words of God have al- 
ways been revealed in accordance with the lan- 
guage of people, so that the benefit thereof may 
become universal ; which fact is evident to the dis- 
cerning and to such as have the knowledge of the 
Book. 

The Israelitish people, early in their cycle and 
in the beginning of their rise, applied the word 
"prophet" to their religious chiefs; because in 
those times religious leaders were accustomed to 
interpret dreams, and people relied upon them as 
men who were inspired in visions. Those ancient 
days were, as we have recorded in the former in- 
troduction, as the dark and gloomy night, on ac- 
count of the agglomeration of fictitious beliefs, 
the gloom of pagan tenets, and natural trend to 
barbarism ; for Sabeanism and Paganism were then 
prevalent in all states and regions. It was as 
though darkness prevailed in all parts of the earth, 
except the Syrian countries, which were at that 
time planting-ground for the tree of Prophethood, 
and the dawning-place of the light of Unity and 
Guidance. As darkness then dominated all parts 
of the earth, the prophets therefore considered 
those days as the "dark night" in the cycles of the 
world, and symbolized them by the word "gloomy 
night," which term they applied to them in nu- 
merous places in their writings. It was in accord 
with such conditions that revelation and inspira- 



*4 6 The Second Introduction. 

tion came to them in "dreams," and so explana- 
tion of visions was considered important. They 
even applied the word "dreamer" to a prophet, as 
is clearly manifest in many passages in the Holy 
Scriptures; and thus the word "prophet" came 
into common use and was applied to all who had 
significant dreams among the Israelitish nation. 
From them, this term found its way among the 
Arabs, and became of current usage in the religion 
of Islam. 

From the above-mentioned statements, it is 
clearly evident that the term "god" to the idola- 
ters, "prophet" to the Israelites, "saint" to the 
Christians, and "holy one" to the Mussulmans, 
has been used and applied in the same sense of re- 
ligious leaders, whom these creeds regarded as 
the nearest of men to God the Exalted, and the 
only ones who were considered as esteemed be- 
fore Him. 

Since the nations unanimously agree upon the 
Unity of God, and that the gods, prophets, saints 
or holy ones, — according- to the difference be- 
tween languages, interpretations, and terminolo- 
gies, — are none other than the means of attain- 
ment to Spiritual Bounties from the One Reality 
of God; it proves that these leaders were only 
the Manifestations of power for the institution of 
Divine Laws among mankind. Now let it be 
known that verily different doctors in every creed 
have explained the essential Unity of the Almighty 
God in diverse ways, and have respectively dem- 
onstrated it by logical, scriptural or inspirational 



The Second Introduction. *47 

proofs. The philosophers and theorists of every 
nation rely upon logical proofs and analogical 
reasoning, in demonstrating the existence of the 
Self-existent One, and in proving His Unity and 
Oneness. But the theologians and divines rest 
upon authoritative proofs, which, they maintain, 
are derived from Heavenly Books. Thus, the Jew- 
ish doctors rely upon the texts of the Old Testa- 
ment, the theologians of Christianity trust in the 
texts of the Gospels, and the Mussulman doctors 
of theology hold to the words of the Koran. Such 
is the case with all the religions and creeds. All 
the extant religions clearly state in their Heavenly 
Books the Oneness of God the Exalted, His Sin- 
gleness, and that He is far above being associated 
or classed with His creatures. All these logical 
or scriptural proofs which the doctors of every 
creed use in demonstrating the existence of God, 
His Unity and Singleness, — provided we suppose 
them to have any efficacy in proving their pur- 
pose, and granted they can prove the truth of 
their assertion, — cannot go beyond demonstrat- 
ing the conception of an absolute and indefinite 
God. In other words, these proofs and argu- 
ments do not impart the knowledge of God, but 
only impart the understanding of the existence of 
God. Knowledge of the existence of God is other 
than the knowledge of God, — the Glorified, the 
Great. The difference between the knowledge of 
God and the knowledge of the existence of God 
is evident to the intelligent, and the great diverg- 
ence between the custodians of these two knowl- 



J 48 The Second Introduction. 

edges is clear to the men of perception. A man 
who has the knowledge of the existence of God 
and not that of God, resembles a man who knows 
and believes in the existence of a precious stone 
called ruby, but who does not know the ruby itself, 
nor can he distinguish between it and other 
stones. Such a man is frequently cheated; and 
buys a base and worthless stone or colored glass 
instead of ruby. But a man who has the knowl- 
edge of God, is like one who knows the ruby with 
real knowledge of its qualities, and distinguishes 
between it and other stones with due discrimina- 
tion. Such a man will not be deluded by the mis- 
representations of the dishonest, nor deceived by 
the sellers and tradesmen. 

Hence many nations have been misled and 
many peoples deceived, mistaking devils for 
saints, worshipping idols and falsely denying the 
Prophets. They never worshipped the devil ex- 
cept in the name of God the Exalted. This is al- 
luded to in St. Matt. (ch. xxiv.), and clearly ex- 
pressed in the 2nd chap., Second Epistle of the 
Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. 

As to the people of Beha, the companions of 
the Red Ark, who have attained knowledge of the 
realities of Oneness, from the traces of the Su- 
preme Pen; who have taken the lesson of Unity 
from the rustle of the Sadrat-ul-Muntaha, and 
have studied the problems of Singleness in the 
Chambers of the Schools of Paradise, through the 
melodies of their Lord the Abha; they believe 
that the Essence of God the Exalted is an im- 



The Second Introduction. 149 

pregnable, invisible One, a hidden treasury, abso- 
lutely single in its Identity and Reality. There- 
fore it is not possible to qualify It with any quali- 
fications of ingress or egress, ascent or descent, 
occupancy or possession, concealment or ex- 
posure, absence or presence, rest or motion, ad- 
vance or withdrawal, or with other similar quali- 
ties and attributes, peculiarities or grades. These 
are the characteristics and attributes of matter, 
while the Essence of God is abstracted therefrom, 
and is in Its Identity contrary to and far above 
being qualified by its qualities or specified by its 
descriptions. Neither can It be defined by any 
definitions, referred to by any reference, nor deter- 
mined by the application of any pronoun; because 
names, attributes, peculiarities and praises befit 
only a thing which can be perceived through and 
apprehended by physical senses. It is beyond the 
power of mind to apprehend a general subject ex- 
cept by investigating particulars, studying the 
qualities of individuals, and deducing from them 
general forms and logical meanings. But an ab- 
stract cannot be apprehended by any of the phys- 
ical senses. Therefore it is utterly impossible for 
the mind to assign to it any especial character, or 
to particularize it by any name or definite at- 
tribute. All that man may think of this state is 
but imagination and has no connection whatever 
with any definite truths or real conceptions. 

Consequently it is recorded in the writings of 
certain Oriental saints, rebuking those who were 
discussing the Divine Essence, thus: "All that ye 



i5° The Second Introduction. 

distinguish through your imagination, in its most 
subtle meanings, is a creation like yourselves, and 
returns to yourselves only.'' 

As it is proved that the way to the comprehen- 
sion of the Essence is closed, and that it is im- 
possible for us to reach its depth, therefore God 
the Exalted has created a glorious person among 
mankind for the manifestation of this holy Essence 
and sole Reality. He has selected a precious Gem 
among the pure gems of humanity, for the show- 
ing forth of Its light and traces, so that He may 
be as a throne for His Essence, a horizon for the 
rising of the lights of His Splendor, a manifester 
of His hidden Reality, an emanator of His in- 
visible Identity, a recipient of His Names and At- 
tributes, a tongue to reveal His Revelation and In- 
spiration, a channel for His Laws and Ordinances, 
an elucidator of His Signs and Evidences, and a 
deliverer of His Commands and Messages. By 
Him, God manifests, in the first grade and primary 
station, His Knowledge, Wisdom, Power, Domin- 
ion, Grandeur, Unity, Will, Beauty, Glory, Grace, 
Perfection, Mercy and Beneficence. He (the 
Manifestation) is named by all the mighty Names 
revealed in the Divine Books, and is the subject 
of the prophetic melodies recorded in the Heavenly 
Scriptures. He is the "Spirit of God sent down," 
the prevailing "Word," the brilliant "Face of God," 
"His outstretched hand"; He is the eloquent 
"Tongue of God," "His discerning Eye"; He is the 
"Preserved Tablet," the "Supreme Pen," the 
"Manifest Horizon," the "Outlook of El-Abha"; 



The Second Introduction. 15 l 

He is the "Great Throne," "the Lofty Seat," the 
"Everlasting Paradise," the "Sadrat-ul-Muntaha." 
"By whatever title He may be called, His are the 
most comely names." 

Such an excellent Person, glorious Man, pre- 
served Gem, and Greatest Name must needs exist 
in every cycle, age and time, — as is asserted by 
Prophets and Messengers, — in order to be the 
Temple for the worship of God. He is the Chan- 
nel of the Knowledge of God ; so that the proofs of 
God, His evidences and signs may not be void, the 
Path of Unity and Oneness may not be concealed, 
the breeze of Devotion and Sanctity may not be 
hushed, the door of Faith and Assurance may not 
be closed, and that mankind may not be finally lost 
in barbarism. 

A sound judgment also considers the truth of 
this fact; that interruption of effects from an ab- 
stract (the first Cause), is unreasonable, and that 
it is utterly impossible for any action to issue 
from an abstract, except through the instrumental- 
ity of bodies (matter). This is evident to such as 
are grounded in logical arguments, and are gifted 
with brilliant sight in Divine and natural enlighten- 
ments. The essential Oneness is not invalidated 
by the plurality of its manifestations, nor is the 
sun made manifold by the number of its dawning- 
places. The spirit of anyone of mankind is not 
multiplied nor altered by the change of his body, 
that is, by the transformation of the substance of 
his organism, from his earliest childhood and youth 
until his decrepitude and decline. For the only 



1 5 2 The Second Introduction. 

thing to rely upon in the realization of Identity and 
the demonstration of Oneness, is the unity of the 
Spirit, and not of the body. As already mentioned, 
bodies are but instruments for the Essence. 
Neither does the Essence of God the Exalted be- 
come plural by manifesting Itself in plural mani- 
festations. Believing in Oneness is to recognize 
that Single Essence in numerous manifestations; 
and Faith in Unity is to seek light from the One 
Sun of Truth through Its manifold day-springs. 
Therefore, we find many passages in the Holy 
Scriptures, in which the Manifestations of God are 
considered as one person, in regard to the Oneness 
of the Essence and the Divine Spirit, although 
they are different and varying in names, forms, 
places and times. Their laws and religions are, 
therefore, considered as one law and one religion, 
in respect to the Oneness of the Institutor and the 
Founder of those laws, notwithstanding their dif- 
ference in precepts, ordinances, rites and cere- 
monies. The Spirit (Christ, Glory be upon Him!) 
has declared John, the son of Zacharias (peace be 
upon him!), to be Elias the Prophet, saying: — 
"And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for 
to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." 
Likewise, the same fact is recorded in St. Matt., 
ch. ii., and in numerous other passages in the 
former Books. In reference to this point, the elect 
and favored saint, Peter the Apostle has said in 
his First Epistle (ch. i., vs. 10, n): — "Of which 
salvation the prophets have enquired and searched 
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should 



The Second Introduction. *53 

come unto you: Searching what, or what manner 
of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them 
did signify, when it testified beforehand the suffer- 
ings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 

Consider, — may God assist ye, — how it is clearly 
stated that the Spirit speaking through the 
prophets, was the same spirit in Christ (Glory and 
Beha be upon Him!). This is the clearest proof 
of the Unity of that excellent Reality, and of the 
fact that He will not become pluralized by the 
number of His Manifestations. This verse has no 
reference to the false and ridiculous idea of trans- 
migration and reincarnation, into which pitfall the 
footsteps of a great number of simple people have 
slipped, and in which notion multitudes among 
the past and present nations persevere. 

The Spirit of God is the One Abstract Identity 
in every respect. In this It is contrary to human 
spirits and human mental faculties, which are sep- 
arate in individuality and identity. That which 
returns of beings is their generic form and the 
qualities and signs pertaining to it; not the in- 
dividual form and that which is in connection with 
it of characteristics and personal particularities. 
By the return of the Holy Reality is meant the 
return of the Essence which is One in every re- 
spect, and the manifestation of the Identity which 
is single in essence. It is the Exalted Reality and 
the excellent Essence, the center of the circle of 
Names, and the Spirit of God descended from 
heaven, through the knowledge of which the reali- 
ties of things are unfolded, and the secrets of hearts 



x 54 The Second Introduction. 

disclosed in the world of Creation. The believers 
in Divine Unity are thereby distinguished from 
polytheists, the convinced from sceptical, the truth- 
ful from the false, and the firm from the vacillating. 
When such a holy Essence manifests itself in a 
body, and this sun of Truth shining forth from a 
dawning-place is denied, opposed, rejected, turned 
aside from or disputed by an ignorant and heed- 
less one, such a person may not be truly named 
a believer in Unity, and his knowledge of the ex- 
istence of the Essence will not benefit him. For 
his belief has not transcended the limit of imagina- 
tion, and his knowledge of the existence of a god 
is only an indefinite knowledge. By understand- 
ing this abstruse subject, it will become evident 
why the term, "believer in Unity,'* is not true of 
some nations and religions (e. g. Sabeans), although 
they may believe in one God. Likewise, the dif- 
ference between the- knowledge of God and the 
knowledge of the existence of God will become 
manifest, as we have already explained. Verily, 
the knowledge of each one of the aforesaid nations 
terminates either in what is created by their own 
superstitions about the Essence of God, even 
though they are philosophers and doctors, or in 
their knowledge of one of the former Day-springs 
and Dawning-places, even though they are blind 
and simple followers. 

Therefore, according to our demonstration, it 
is proved that such a degree of knowledge of the 
state of Divine Unity is not sufficient, nor can one 
rely upon this knowledge as complete; nor can one 



The Second Introduction. 155 

trust in it against being snared in the toils of 
devil-worship. Likewise, the meaning of "Return" 
will be clearly understood, whereat the minds 
of nations are astonished, and whereby people are 
tested. All former and present nations have been 
and are awaiting the return of some certain person 
or persons who have existed in bygone ages, ex- 
pecting them to appear in the "latter days/' as a 
fulfillment of their prophecies. The Jews believe 
in the return of Elias the Prophet. Among the 
Mohammedans, the Shi'ah sect trust in the return 
of Hussein the son of Ali (the 3rd Imam), and 
Mohammed the son of Hassan Askari (12th Imam). 
The Christians as well as the Sunnite sect of Islam 
believe that Christ will return at the end of the 
days ; which fact is known to such as are informed 
upon the doctrines of religions. 

By "Return," is meant the return of the Mani- 
festation of that Sacred Reality. "Resurrection" 
is the rise of Its Appearance and Dawning-place 
among mankind. By the "Hour" is intended the 
hour of Its dawn and rising, after Its disappear- 
ance. But the "Return" and "Resurrection," if 
they are taken according to the meaning which 
people believe and nations await, is an unintelli- 
gible matter, inasmuch as it is contrary to the nat- 
ural laws, and against the Divine Sentences: — 
"Thou shalt not find any change in the sentence of 
God," nor will there be any change in the laws 
whereupon God hath based His Creation. 

Such glorious Manifestation and great Man is 
known and distinguished from the rest of mankind 



x 5 6 The Second Introduction. 

by the Attributes of God which proceed from Him, 
and by the qualities and characteristics of God 
which appear through Him. From Him shine 
Knowledge and Wisdom, Glory and Majesty, 
Power and Might, Sway and Dominion, and other 
attributes of excellence and qualities of Perfection, 
without His having acquired knowledge by study 
in scientific schools. Nor have His Power, Domin- 
ion, Grandeur and Sway been assisted by any ma- 
terial kingdom or ruler, or by financial wealth 
and affluence; or through any family connection 
and support. This is the case with His other 
qualifications, dispositions and conditions. Nay, 
rather, all these endowments and attributes are 
manifest in Him in His Identity, and are confirmed 
through His Words and Verses. He is, in every 
one of His attributes, a miracle to others. He 
puts to silence and discomfits such as may arise 
to resist and oppose Him. The most particular 
and clear among His Attributes is the Mighty 
Power which proceeds from Him in instituting 
laws and religions, and in promoting and establish- 
ing them throughout the world. Through these, 
every possessor of authority and power who may 
oppose or antagonize Him is abased. This is an 
incomparable Power among nations, and is a glori- 
ous dominion and kingdom which can never be 
vanquished by any in the world. For though 
kings have long wrestled with it, they were beaten; 
and though doctors and prominent men withstood 
it, they were discomfited. Because, love for an old 
and familiar religion is firmly rooted in the hearts 



The Second Introduction. 15 7 

of all the people, and dying for its preservation, 
and suffering ruin in opposing its removal, is a 
well-known characteristic of all the nations. 

When anyone appeared, claiming to be the 
Prophet of God, bringing a glorious Book and de- 
claring it to be the Book of God, two manifest 
powers and evident energies proceeded from Him 
and His Book. First, a Knowledge, whereby all 
the sicknesses of nations were removed; because 
it changed their infidelity into belief in unity, their 
faithlessness into faith, their ignorance into wis- 
dom, their discord into harmony, their hostility 
into love, and their treachery into trustworthiness. 
So also it transformed their other attributes, man- 
ners and qualifications. 

Second, a Power whereby the world was sub- 
dued, notwithstanding all the people, including the 
prophet's own relatives and family, resisted it; just 
as the Jews and others withstood the spread of 
Christianity. 

Consequently, there is no ground for doubt as to 
the truth of His claim and the reality of His Word, 
nor as to the necessity of obeying Him. Verily His 
power and might are connected with the Holy 
Omnipotence, are caused by the Invisible Power 
proceeding from the Divine Essence, and have 
descended from the Exalted and Heavenly Reality. 
There is no doubt that a new religion is an out- 
come and result which must needs have a cause 
and reason. As all material causes, such as ac- 
quired sciences, outward dominion and power, 
financial riches and family influence have been lack- 



*5 8 The Second Introduction. 

ing, therefore no thoughtful person, not even the 
philosophers who believe in reasons and effects, 
would doubt that these powers are caused by the 
Reason of reasons and the Cause of causes. That 
is, they have proceeded from the Divine Essence, 
the Heavenly Reality, and Supreme Identity, 
which is interpreted to be the "Self-Existent One" 
(Glorified is His Grandeur and Exalted is His Sta- 
tion !) 

This glorious Man, whom we have mentioned 
and described, — while He is exalted and magnified 
above being praised by any praises, — in His one- 
ness expresses the Oneness of God ; in His desire, 
the Desire of God; in His will, the Will of God; 
in all of His names and attributes, the Names and 
Attributes of God. Knowing Him, therefore, is 
knowing God, obeying Him is obeying God, reject- 
ing and falsely denying Him is, therefore, identical 
with rejecting and falsely denying God. 

This is the real theory of Unity, the ideal and 
confirmed knowledge of Oneness. All else is but 
polytheism of the infidel, imagination of the super- 
stitious, gloomy thought of the so-called philoso- 
phers, and erroneous ideas of religious usurpers. 

Praise be to God, the Lord of the Creatures ! 



The Third Introduction. 

Treating of the proofs and arguments which 
prove the truth of the Divine Manifestations: — 

O ye people of Beha, firm ones in the Covenant 
of "Him around Whom all names revolve" ! May 
God quicken your hearts through the fountain of 
His Gifts which are pouring from His Glorious 
Reality! Know ye that one of the subjects upon 
which all nations have agreed, is the fact that 
there has ever been in the world the appearance 
of a truth and a falsehood, the rise of a guide and 
a misleader, the true claim and the false one, the 
call of the Lord and that of a Satan. In other 
words, many men have arisen in the past and per- 
haps others will arise in the future, claiming to 
have appeared by the permission of God and 
arisen by the Command of God; men who were 
true in their claim and right in. their words. On 
the other hand, many others have falsely and er- 
roneously made the same claim. 

There must be of necessity certain signs and 
tokens in a Divine claimant and in every Manifes- 
tation of Truth, which signs and tokens may con- 
firm the truth of His claim. Likewise there must 
be proofs, arguments and evidences to establish 
the validity of His words, so that Truth may be 
distinguished from falsehood, a guide from a mis- 
leader, and the right path from the wrong; so 

159 



160 The Third Introduction. 

that the Lord may be differentiated from Satan, 
and proofs may be made perfect to all in the Uni- 
verse. 

Then know (may God assist ye!), we have 
stated and proved in the previous introduction, 
that verily the Manifestations of the Cause of God 
are the Manifestations of One Reality and One 
Essence, and that all of them are considered as 
one man and one person. Their first is identical 
with their last ; their former with their latter ; they 
are only distinguished from each other through 
the Attributes of God which appear from them, 
and the Essence of God which is manifest within 
them. From this it follows that the way of 
knowing them, the proof of their truth, the evi- 
dence of the validity of their claim, and the argu- 
ment for the demonstration of their Word, should 
be also one. For these tokens, signs, proofs and 
arguments are no other than the signs of the Di- 
vine Attributes, which are manifest in them, and 
are similar to the rays and lights gleaming from 
the Sun of Truth. As the Sun is one, its light 
must needs be one, and the rays which shine from 
it must be also alike and similar. But of these 
Manifestations, those who appear later or nearer 
to the end, that is, nearer to the Great Resurrec- 
tion and Glorious Hour, are of a greater brilliancy 
and splendor, and their proofs and arguments are 
clearer and stronger, on account of the law of 
progression. This point may be clearly under- 
stood by investigating the proofs of the reality of 
religions which have appeared in former times. 



The Third Introduction. i6x 

These proofs and arguments, although they can- 
not be confined within definite limits, as we have 
already said, are, in reality, the signs of the Divine 
Attributes which are manifest in the Manifesta- 
tions of God, and are as lights which gleam from 
the Sun of the Truth of His Essence. Yet the 
proofs held by the adherents of religions and 
laws, and which are produced in case of demon- 
stration as being the clearest and most evident, 
are four in number. 

First, the Heavenly Revelation, that is, the 
Divine Book. Second, the Logical Proof or Ar- 
gument (called by Mohammedan Theologians the 
"Proof of Stability"). Third, Signs and Mira- 
cles. Fourth, Prophecies and Records (of pre- 
vious Books). 

In the following, we briefly treat of the reality 
of these proofs and the manner in which they 
demonstrate the Manifestation of the Command 
of God; while trusting in God, the aim of the 
pious and the Illuminator of Sight and Insight. 

FIRST PROOF; THAT IS, THE HEAVEN- 
LY REVELATION AND DIVINE UTTER- 
ANCE: — This signifies the truths which are 
revealed to the heart of the Manifestation 
of the Command of God, through the medi- 
ation of the Holy Spirit of God manifest with- 
in Him; truths given forth from His tongue; 
knowledge cast in the mould of words, through 
His Utterance and Explanation. This definition 
proves that, verily, the Divine Words and scrip- 
tural Verses are the first Bounty which pours 



162 The Third Introduction. 

forth from the Merciful Reality, and are the high- 
est and greatest Gift which is sent down and be- 
stowed upon human beings. These Words and 
Verses are like unto the dew and the heavenly- 
rains. They descend from the clouds of Holy 
Temples (prophets), and the old world is clad with 
the new garment of youth through their descent 
and fall. They are the rays of the Sun of Truth 
which dawn from Holy Day-Springs, dispelling 
the darkness of ignorance and superstition. They 
are the Breezes of the Spring-time of Manifesta- 
tion, the Fragrances of the Morn of Resurrection, 
throughout time and ages. By them the sweet 
odor of Knowledge is diffused in the Universe, 
and the Spirit of Life is breathed into laws and 
religions. They are rivers flowing from the 
fountains of Divine Wisdom into that ever fresh 
and verdant spiritual Garden. By their pure, liv- 
ings waters the filth of barbarism and coarseness 
is abolished and the graces of civilization and en- 
lightenment appear. 

The Words of God have clear preference and 
manifest grandeur above all other proofs and ar- 
guments; inasmuch as they are everlasting signs, 
and can easily be reached by every one. In this 
respect they differ from works and miracles, which 
are temporary and vanishing, and cannot be trans- 
ferred to remote countries and distant lands. The 
Words are the greatest proof of the Prophets, in- 
asmuch as nothing in the world is more highly es- 
teemed and valued than knowledge. The depos- 
itory of knowledge is the Book, as is evident to 



The Third Introduction. 163 

all men of understanding. It is through the 
Words of God that the benefits of training and 
education are realized, regulations are enacted, 
and laws are instituted. These laws constitute 
the basis upon which the refinement of peoples, 
civilizations of nations, preservation of society, 
and culture of the world, are founded. 

Let us take for granted that Moses (Peace be 
upon Him !) has, as is believed by the Jews, cloven 
the sea, brought forth water from the rock, 
changed his rod into a crawling serpent, and mani- 
fested other great signs. Let us concede that 
Christ (Glory be to Him !) has quickened the dead, 
restored those born blind, and cured lunatics. 
How can all these wonders be of any value when 
compared with the Gospels and the Bible ? Verily 
these, even though they might be literally true, 
were witnessed by a limited number of men, 
whereas the lights of the Heavenly Books are 
shining, their signs are radiating, their hymns and 
verses are sung, their psalms and prophecies 
chanted, throughout all lands and regions, during 
cycles and ages. Every reader reads them, every 
hearer hears them, every seeker finds them, and 
every man of capacity is profited by them. 
Through them insight is illumined, eyes are con- 
soled, morals are reformed, souls are quickened, 
and hearts and breasts are dilated. 

The Words of God are not distinguished and 
known from the words of man by their elo- 
quence, fluency, composition, harmonious phrases, 
nor by the grace of their allegories, as is 



i*4 The Third Introduction. 

maintained by some people. Neither are they 
supported by the testimony of ancient monuments 
and relics, as is held by certain classes; nor by 
beliefs which people have inherited from their an- 
cestors and great men, and to which beliefs they 
have submitted in blind imitation, considering 
them indisputable truth, as is the case in all re- 
ligions. As all such views would be ignored by the 
majority of the people, and could not be demon- 
strated to the world as being a perfect proof and 
a satisfactory argument; therefore, accepting 
them would be only through blind imitation and 
taking the words of others, without any proof 
upon which wise men could rely. 

The people of Beha, who cling to the Hem of 
"Him around Whom all names revolve," distin- 
guish the Words of God from the words of man, 
through their perfect efficacy in the guidance of 
souls, enlightenment of hearts, quickening of na- 
tions, reformation of character, reorganization of 
society, institution of wonderful, everlasting and 
refining laws, overthrow of such proud people as 
may resist them, and domination over whatever 
tyrant nations may prevent or antagonize them. 
The Beha'is name this quality the "creative and 
dominating power," which differentiates the Di- 
vine Words from those invented by man. 

For it is evident to every discerning and pru- 
dent man, that, verily, the mission of Prophets, 
the arising of Messengers, the institution of laws, 
and the enactment of regulations, are only for the 
guidance of souls and the removal of spiritual 



The Third Introduction. 165 

sicknesses, just as medical science is for the heal- 
ing of physical sicknesses and the preservation of 
bodies. When a prophet appears with a Divine 
Book, whereby souls are guided, hearts are quick- 
ened, infidelity changed into belief in Unity, un- 
certainty into faith, rebellion into obedience, ig- 
norance into knowledge and wisdom, hatred into 
love and affinity, to such an extent that He founds 
a living, independent and everlasting community, 
and institutes a reforming and guiding law; then 
there can be no doubt that such a book is the Book 
of God ; that the Revealer thereof is appointed by 
the Command of God, and is assisted and fortified 
by the Spirit of God. Because the guidance of 
men is a function which belongs to a prophet 
and is a confirmatory proof of His Prophet- 
hood, even as the power of curing sickness and 
establishing health is a quality pertaining to med- 
ical science, and an evidence of the claim of the 
physician. To this point the Words of our Lord 
Christ have reference, in the 12th ch. St. Matt., — 
'The tree is known by his fruit." For it is un- 
reasonable to believe that peace and harmony 
should proceed from the source of falsehood and 
corruption, or that a tree of error and misleading 
should bring forth the fruits of happiness and 
guidance. 

In Deuteronomy, ch. xviii., God, referring to the 
appearance of Prophets and the rise of claimants, 
both false and true, has clearly indicated that the 
only rule by which to discriminate between them 
is the efficacy of their words and the penetrating 



166 The Third Introduction. 

power of their speech, in guiding souls and illumi- 
nating hearts; in uplifting nations and refining 
peoples (v. 21) : — "And if thou say in thine heart, 
How shall we know the word which the Lord hath 
not spoken ?" (v. 22) "When a prophet speaketh in 
the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor 
come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord 
hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it 
presumptuously ; thou shalt not be afraid of him." 
Now consider (May God the Exalted assist 
ye!) how He has appointed the correct standard 
for the distinction between false and true to be 
the inefficiency of the words of the false one. 
Likewise note that He has not made eloquence, 
miracles, or the testimony of antique monu- 
ments, distinguishing proofs. The above-men- 
tioned verses do not exclusively refer to prophe- 
cies of future events, as some commentators say, 
because if they did, people might be excused for 
their lack of faith before the fulfillment of the 
prophecies, and thus the words of the Prophets 
would not establish a Religion, nor could they be 
demonstrated by any proofs or arguments. But 
their effectiveness and power is the only distinc- 
tion and single standard; the clear sign by which 
to distinguish the Words of the Glorious Lord 
from the words of man. Even the first one who 
has believed in a true Prophet and acknowledged 
a real claim, would not have believed in nor sub- 
mitted to His Station had he not realized in him- 
self the manifest guidance and evident power in 
that Prophet's Words. 



The Third Introduction 167 

Consider the condition of the Hebrew nation 
before the appearance of Moses (Peace be upon 
Him !). Compare their state of baseness and hu- 
mility, slavery and shame, to their condition after 
the appearance of Moses and the Bible's Revela- 
tion. Their circumstances and manners were 
vastly improved, and they produced kings, rulers, 
and great prophets. Thus we are able to realize 
some of the signs of the revelation of Divine 
Words, and see how much they effected in bring- 
ing nations from darkness to light, from death to 
life, from barbarism to civilization and refinement. 
Likewise the records of all nations and peoples 
east and west, who have embraced the Heavenly 
Religions, will show how the downpour of the 
Shower of Revelation from the Clouds of the Di- 
vine Providence has taken effect in them. That 
which is revealed in the 55th ch. Isaiah as refer- 
ence to this fact: — (v. 8.) "For my thoughts are 
not your thoughts, neither are your ways my 
ways, saith the Lord." (v. 9.) "For as the heavens 
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher 
than your ways, and my thoughts than your 
thoughts." (v. 10.) "For as the rain cometh down, 
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not 
thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it 
bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the 
sower, and bread to the eater:" (v. 11.) "So shall 
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it 
shall not return unto me void, but it shall accom- 
plish that which I please, and it shall prosper in 
the thing whereto I sent it." This suffices the 



168 The Third Introduction. 

people of faith, and is enough to satisfy the people 
of Assurance. Time and circumstances do not 
permit further enlargement. Therefore, we trust 
in God the Lord, and rely upon Him, both in the 
origin and end. 

SECOND OR LOGICAL PROOF:— That 
Mighty Divine Power and Heavenly Energy to 
which we have alluded, and which has been ex- 
plained in a brief way in former passages, is a 
Power which institutes a new law and a new re- 
ligion. This Power is not assisted by any mate- 
rial or phenomenal kingdom or authority, nor by 
any glory, majesty, family influence, financial 
wealth or affluence. When we find such a resist- 
less Power triumphing unassisted by any such in- 
strumentality, we may conclude that undoubtedly 
it owes its origin to the Cause of causes and the 
Reason of reasons, that is to the Divine Will, the 
Supreme Pleasure, the Essential Invisible Power. 
Otherwise, things would be the outcome of a con- 
catenation of causes, which theory is held as false 
and unreasonable by great philosophers and by 
pillars of learning and wisdom. 

The explanation of this argument in detail is, 
that this great Power and manifest Potency, which 
proceeds from the Institutor of a new Religion, 
must, of necessity, have a rational cause and rea- 
son. Philosophers seek reasons and inquire about 
causes. Now a religion is necessarily an effect; 
and the idea of a new religion being outside 
causation is absurd, for every one would most de- 
cidedly refuse to embrace it. But this penetrative 



The Third Introduction. 169 

Power which founds a new religion resists the 
efforts of all the people of the world, and subdues 
and overcomes all nations; this action, therefore, 
must needs have a cause ; this remarkable phenom- 
enon and manifest Power must have an origin and 
motive. 

If it be said that this Power which organizes new 
religions and preserves them for long periods, is 
reinforced by any family influence, we find that 
this motive is absent in such cases, and thus cannot 
be an origin and source for the appearance of this 
strong Power. The lack of this influence in 
Christianity is too evident a fact to leave any 
ground for doubt ; inasmuch as the relatives of our 
Lord Christ (Peace be upon Him!) were of the 
Jews, who, after the lapse of so many centuries and 
generations, are still denying His religion, and are 
the strongest antagonists of His Name among the 
nations. 

As to the Religion of Moses, the Bible testifies, 
— in spite of the obscurity of the old histories and 
the discord of the historians as to the compiler of 
the five books of Moses, — that the Israelites were 
antagonistic to the mission of Moses, and disputed 
most of His actions, until finally they were about 
to stone Him for the manifold calamities and af- 
flictions which they suffered through the oppres- 
sions of the Pharaohs and the hostility of the 
Egyptians. In such a case it is impossible that 
this wonderful Power which causes the institution 
of a new religion should be assisted by family 
co-operation or produced by the help of kindred. 



17© The Third Introduction. 

The cause of this manifest hatred and opposi- 
tion, this evident enmity and hostility to a new 
religion, is clear to men of insight. Verily, the 
disease which pervades and attacks all religions is 
the idea held by their respective adherents that 
their laws are unalterable and everlasting. 

The Jews, Christians and Mussulmans regard 
their respective law and religion as being ever- 
lasting and permanent, never allowing any of its 
ordinances to be changed. Great numbers among 
them have given up their lives and properties, and 
forsaken their families and children to preserve 
their ordinances and texts. This is also the case 
with the Sabeans and other Pagan peoples. Thus 
everybody hates and dislikes to relinquish his he- 
reditary religion and embrace a new faith. This 
is the case with all people, no matter whether they 
are related to the Prophet or are strangers, ene- 
mies or friends, obscure or distinguished. 

A man can rarely be found who is in himself 
awakened to the fact that the institutor of a new 
religion and the appearance of a Manifestation 
is appointed by the Command of God ; that such a 
Manifestation declares Himself by the permission 
of God, and fulfills the Will of God ; that He enacts 
laws and ordinances applicable to the occasion, cir- 
cumstances, places and times, and not in conform- 
ity with the various opinions, wishes and ideas of 
peoples and nations, and the difference of their 
beliefs and understandings. 

From the above statements, we can understand 
how false is the view Ebn-Kaldoon (a famous 



The Third Introduction. 171 

Oriental historian) has sustained, that a religious 
claim can never stand firm nor be accomplished 
except by family influence. He supports his state- 
ment by the following obscure tradition: — 

"God never raised a prophet except in the guar- 
dianship of his relatives/' 

This writer has imagined that the penetration of 
the Divine Word and the maintenance of a pro- 
phetic claim depend upon the influence of rela- 
tives, and not upon any Heavenly Invisible Power. 
From this tradition he has regarded the prophe- 
cies concerning the appearance of Mahdi (the Pre- 
cursor) as invalid, because of the dissolution of 
the Hashemite lineage and the dispersion of the 
Ali-ite race. This is contrary to the clear records 
of the Heavenly Books, and contradictory to the 
testimony of history. 

It is sometimes said that this Power which insti- 
tutes new laws has been aided by acquired learn- 
ing and school sciences ; that is, that the founders 
of Divine Religions have been instructed by prom- 
inent learned men, and have thus mastered the va- 
rious branches of learning, such as Philosophy, 
Natural Sciences, Astronomy, Geometry, Arith- 
metic, Geography, etc. On this account the 
learned men are made humble before them, and 
the minds of the philosophers are illumined 
through their enlightenment, and so the common 
and ignorant have followed and obeyed them. 
But we find that even this has been wanting in 
connection with the prophets. If this statement 
cannot be realized in the case of Moses (Peace be 



172 The Third Introduction. 

upon Him !), on account of the obscurity of ancient 
history, which is beyond the reach of discovery and 
research, yet it is very clear and explicit in regard 
to the Manifestation of our Lord Christ. He was 
never educated in the contemporary schools of 
Greece and Egypt. He had not undertaken to 
study their sciences and philosophies, nor is there 
any book attributed to Him containing such learn- 
ing. No record or history testifies that Christ was 
numbered among the learned of His Age, or ac- 
counted a philosopher or doctor. Moreover, there 
is no likeness between the knowledge which hath 
proceeded from the Holy Manifestations and the 
acquired human sciences ; inasmuch as the former 
is spiritual, quickening spirits and souls, and heal- 
ing the sicknesses of minds and hearts, while the 
latter is material, and its use is for definite objects 
and limited applications pertaining to matter. The 
uses of Geometry, for instance, are applied to the 
knowledge of surfaces, those of Arithmetic to 
numbers, those of Medicine to the health of 
bodies. So also with other sciences and learnings, 
as is clear and evident. 

It is certain that the Greek and Egyptian phil- 
osophers and the Persian and Chaldean doctors, 
who were, in those days, the sources of these sci- 
ences, could not deliver themselves, their neigh- 
bors and their colonists from the fetters of corrupt 
beliefs, or purify them from the filth of shameful 
practices. History shows the prevalence of such 
customs as offering children in sacrifice before 
idols, worshipping animals, trees and rivers; violat- 



The Third Introduction. ^73 

ing chaste women in the cult of the goddess of 
Beauty, drinking oxen's urine and the ablution of 
the face therewith (the two latter are ceremonies 
called Bareshnum, held by the Zoroastrians) ; 
burying girls alive, burning the living with the 
dead, considering fire as sacred and forbidding the 
arts and crafts connected with it; avoiding 
strangers, prohibiting the touching of others with 
wet hands, forbidding to eat with others, even 
though they were of the same race, country and re- 
ligion (Hindus), and many similar practices which 
we refrain from mentioning here. 

Moreover, philosophers and doctors have been, 
in those days, defenders of such beliefs and shame- 
ful practices ; eager, even at the risk of their lives, 
to preserve them from any change, transforma- 
tion, removal or abolishment. 

Consider (may God the Exalted illumine your 
sight and insight!) the Arabian people and the dif- 
ference in their condition before and after the ap- 
pearance of Islam. By this comparison you may 
perchance become cognizant of that which we 
have alluded to, concerning the clear difference 
between Divine Knowledge and philosophical sci- 
ences, in connection with quickening humanity 
and removing spiritual sicknesses. The Greek 
and Egyptian philosophers, near neighbors of the 
Arabs, notwithstanding their abundant learning, 
vast enlightenment, the copious means and instru- 
ments at their disposal and the assistance ren- 
dered by governments in their behalf, were unable 
to spread civilization among the Arabs, who were 



i74 The Third Introduction. 

all adherents of the same Sabean religion and fol- 
lowers of the same form of idolatry. Certainly 
this was easier of accomplishment than the recov- 
ery from Spiritual sicknesses and the removal of 
religious ailments. But the rise of a single illit- 
erate man removed from their necks the fetters of 
ignorance, untied the shackles of bondage from 
their feet, awakened them from the unconscious- 
ness of sleep and breathed into them a new Spirit 
of Life. They were invigorated, developed, illu- 
minated and enlightened, until they transmitted 
the lights of Knowledge and civilization, and 
spread the virtues of refinement and humanity, not 
only in Arabian lands but also throughout the ex- 
tensive countries of the East, abolishing those 
ruinous beliefs and habits among the Zoroastrians 
and Pagans. 

O ye honorable men! After ye understand 
this clear point and evident fact, ye could equally 
comprehend that, verily, God the Exalted has as- 
signed the institution of His Religion and the pro- 
motion of His Word to the illiterate, and not to 
philosophers or scholars. This He has done in 
order that it may be more effective in removing all 
doubts, that it may be beyond the reach of accusa- 
tion, and to demonstrate the fact that this Sacred 
Power has no connection with the studied sciences, 
nor origin from any acquired learning. 

George Sale, of England, the erudite writer of 
the life of Mohammed and Islam, has neglected 
this point and ignored this fact, as is evident from 
the 33d page of his "Preliminary Discourse," pre- 



The Third Introduction. 175 

ceding his translation of the Koran: — "(Moham- 
med's) followers instead of being ashamed of their 
Master's ignorance, glory in it, as an evident proof 
of his divine mission, and scruple not to call him, 
as he is indeed called in the Koran itself, 'an illit- 
erate prophet.' " 

This learned man has imagined that the illit- 
eracy of any of the prophets should be an object 
of shame and dishonor to his followers, whereas 
it is recorded in St. John's Gospel, ch vii., that 
Christ (Glory be to Him!) was also illiterate: — 
(v. 15.) "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How 
knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" 
(v. 16.) "J esus answered them, and said, My doc- 
trine is not mine, but his that sent me." This 
statement clearly shows that His learning was 
spiritual and inspired, therefore, not acquired and 
studied. 

How can this erudite historian excuse himself 
upon this point, admitting, as he must, that Christ 
(Glory be to Him !) left the Keys of Heaven in the 
hands of an illiterate fisherman, and inspired the 
heart of a common Jewish tax-gatherer with the 
spirit of Apostleship and Guidance ? Is not this a 
declaration of the Power of God the Exalted, prov- 
ing to all the people that He discomfits the armies 
of tyrants and subdues the swords of Pharaohs 
through a shepherd's rod? Is it not clear that He 
makes of the fisher a fisher of men and the over- 
turner of the emperors' thrones ; that He ordains 
an illiterate one, through His Supreme Kingdom, 
to instruct Persian philosophers and the sons of 



176 The Third Introduction. 

kings? Is not this a proof of God's Grandeur; 
making these ignorant ones the evidence of His 
Manifestation and of His Will and Desire? Is 
not their separation from acquired learning and 
sciences a clearer proof of the Divine Omnipo- 
tence? Is it not the most explicit argument of 
immanent heavenly power: the best means for 
suppressing the superstitions of the followers of 
fancy and refuting the doubt of the suspicious 
ones? 

It is evident from the statements already made 
that all the power and energy which proceeded 
from the Apostle Paul, in promulgating the Di- 
vine Word throughout the Pagan world, during 
the early growth of Christianity, was imparted to 
and made manifest in him by the Word of our 
Lord Christ. His power came not from acquired 
sciences or from the amplitude of his scholastic 
learning, as is maintained by most of the Christian 
people. The proof of this is that before his belief 
in Christ, his knowledge and learning were the 
same as the endowments of the other Jewish doc- 
tors, such as in reading, writing, and recognition 
of the ordinances of the Hebraic laws. Paul was 
not accounted as a philosopher of that age, nor is 
he said to have been educated in any of the 
Athenian or Egyptian schools. We have no book 
written by him upon philosophy, natural science, 
astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, medicine or any 
other branch of intelligence and learning. More- 
over, he himself has repudiated the acquired phil- 
osophy and Greek learning in several passages of 



The Third Introduction. *77 

his epistles; as is recorded in the Epistle to the 
Colossians, ch. ii., v. 8, thus: — "Beware lest any 
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, 
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of 
the world, and not after Christ." 

He has likewise recorded in his First Epistle to 
the Corinthians, ch. L, vs. 22, 23: — "For the Jews 
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom : 
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a 
stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. ,, 
The Jews were constantly demanding signs and 
miracles from the disciples of our Lord Christ, 
while the Greeks were asking from them sciences 
and wisdom, thus testing them through learning 
and philosophy. But that upright saint and elo- 
quent orator (St. Paul) silenced and resisted them 
through the power of Christ's Kingdom; the 
lights of which Kingdom had risen, and its power 
appeared in the illiterate disciples, those perse- 
cuted companions and penniless friends of Christ. 
This may be the greatest proof of the Power of 
God. It is written: — "But God hath chosen the 
foolish things of the world to confound the wise ; 
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world 
to confound the things which are mighty." (I. 
Cor., ch. i., v. 27.) 

Consequently, it is clearly proven that the dis- 
ciples of Christ (Glory be to Him !) promoted His 
Word and confirmed His religion through the 
Divine Power which they had gained from Him, 
and not through the learning and sciences with 
which their enemies abounded, but of which they 



i7% The Third Introduction. 

themselves had none; as is evident to those who 
study their lives and history. 

If it be said that this Power, which founds a new 
law and a new Religion, has been assisted by any 
worldly kingdom or dominion, or by any financial 
wealth or riches, it is also evident that these were 
not possessed by the prophets and founders of 
laws and religions. This plain fact does not 
need any further argument, demonstration or 
prolix discussion to hearts free from fanaticism. 
How could the power and wealth of Moses (Peace 
be upon Him!) and the Israelites be compared with 
the wealth and influence of the Pharaohs? Could 
the riches of the companions of our Lord Christ 
be compared with the wealth and pomp of the 
emperors, or could the dominion of any prophet be 
compared with the power of contemporary hostile 
kings and tyrants? It has been charged against 
Islam that it was promulgated and spread by the 
swords of the Arab generals, just as the Persians, 
Jews, Buddhists and Hindoos say that Christianity 
was spread through the military power of em- 
perors, and strengthened and established by the 
sword of tyrant kings. But all this is a foolish 
surmise and a fictitious statement. The truth is 
that the Word of Islam was spread among the 
Arabs even before the flight of Mohammed, just 
as Christianity penetrated and was promulgated 
before the conversion of Constantine the Great 
and the assistance of the Caesars. Moreover, all 
those armies, defenders and swords were founded, 
established and organized through the effect of 



The Third Introduction. 179 

the Word of God and the immense influence of 
the Will of God. Were it not for the Divine 
Books, these armies would have stood to assist 
infidelity and these destructive swords would have 
been drawn to promote idolatry, and not to further 
and spread the Unity. This is evident to such as 
are endowed with a brilliant insight and innate un- 
derstanding. But God the Exalted, on account of 
His boundless Mercy, abundant Grace, the ap- 
pearance of His Power and the shining forth of 
His Argument, has desired to entirely remove 
such charge and doubt against this latter-day Glo- 
rious Manifestation and Most Splendid and Ex- 
alted Dawn. Therefore, He has strictly and abso- 
lutely prohibited not only conflict and warfare, but 
even that which might be aggravating to souls 
and creative of hostility within hearts, such as re- 
viling, execration, vainglory and pride ; so that the 
Power of the Divine Word may become manifest, 
and that all doubts and suspicions may be allayed 
during coming centuries and generations. 

O ye believers ! Now that you have understood 
the reality of the "Proof of Stability" and the 
meaning of the "Logical Argument," know (may 
God illumine your cheerful faces with the Beha of 
His Luminous Countenance!) that the nations 
have neglected this evident proof and denied this 
manifest highway because of two things in which 
they have been instructed by their doctors and 
leaders since their childhood. These two ideas 
have become to them as real facts, and so well- 
rooted in their hearts as to be considered religious 
necessities. 



i8o The Third Introduction. 

The first thing is each nation's denial of the 
other's religion. The Jews deny the truth of 
Buddhism, the Buddhists that of the Jews; the 
Mussulmans deny the truth of Brahamanism, the 
Brahamans that of Islam; the Christians that of 
the Zoroastrians, and the latter that of Chris- 
tianity. 

The second thing is their denial of the appear- 
ance of new Manifestations and new Religions. 
The Jews denied the truth of the appearance of 
our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him !) ; the Chris- 
tians denied the appearance of Mohammed; and 
the Mussulmans denied that of the Manifesta- 
tion of our Lord Beha-Ullah (Glorified is His 
Grandeur!). The Jews considered Christianity 
as indisputably false; their hearts hated it and 
their souls were offended with it. Likewise 
is the falsehood of Islam to the Christians, 
and the falsehood of Buddhism, Brahamanism, 
and Sabeanism to the Jews, Christians, and 
Mussulmans. Moreover, their disgust and of- 
fence were increased because of the shameful 
calumnies and the abominable beliefs and deeds 
which their respective religious doctors attributed 
to each other. These slanders became well-rooted 
in their minds in bygone days, owing to the want 
of communication between different nations. The 
lack of information of the one concerning the real 
doctrine of the other resulted generally from their 
religious books not being translated, and from the 
difficulty in spreading scientific writings. This 
condition was aggravated by the fact that the art 



The Third Introduction. 181 

of printing had not as yet been invented, and be- 
cause of the weakness of some nations and their 
fear of divulging their beliefs to their enemies. 
Therefore, slanders and calumnies spread far 
and wide, the circle of scandal increased, and lies 
and false accusations became universal among na- 
tions. In this way the Jewish doctors have slan- 
dered our Lord Christ, and such calumnies have 
prevented the Jews from believing in Him for 
over 1800 years. 

The Jews suffered great calamities, unbearable 
afflictions and painful disasters during long cen- 
turies; endured bitter hardships, violent misfor- 
tunes, and all kinds of sorrows and woes, rather 
than acknowledge His truth, believe in His Word, 
or ponder even one hour over the proofs and ar- 
guments of His Revelation. So, also, other re- 
ligions, faiths, creeds and sects, did not refrain 
from fabricating every disgraceful calumny against 
whoever might contradict their religion, laws, 
creed and doctrine. It is evident what a great 
effect this had in the hearts of their followers and 
adherents. 

A potent influence against unity of belief was 
the introduction of heretical and debased rites and 
ceremonies into the old religions, — from which 
none are free. For instance, we see idol and im- 
age worship introduced into Buddhism and Brah- 
amanism; fire worship into Zoroastrianism; the cel- 
ebration of the anniversary of saints' birthdays, 
devouring serpents, and dancing into the Sunnite 
sects; the dramatic representation of the life of 



is* The Third Introduction. 

Imams and martyrs, and wounding their heads 
with daggers, into the Shi'ah sects. All this 
caused the people to doubt and give credit to these 
detractions and accusations, for they considered 
these debased rites as proofs and evidences of the 
falsehood of other religions. 

For instance, if it be said to a Christian or Mus- 
sulman that Buddhism was originally inspired by 
God, and that its founder was sent from God, he 
would be astonished, bewildered, offended and 
filled with hatred at the claim and statement. He 
would say: — "How could idolatry be a Divine 
Truth and how could the founder of such a religion 
be considered a true prophet?" At the same time, 
he would fail to understand the fact that the wor- 
ship of idols and images was not a fundamental 
truth of Buddhism, Brahamanism or even Sabean- 
ism. He would see that these false ceremonies were 
introduced into those religions just as the worship 
of the pictures of the saints, adoration of the relics 
of martyrs, and many other similar practices were 
introduced into Christianity; although not one of 
these ideas are revealed or alluded to in the Holy 
Gospels. 

From what we have already mentioned in de- 
tail, two evident conditions are produced in all re- 
ligions, which gave rise to two clear results. 

THE FIRST RESULT— is the inability of 
people to prove the truth of their religion and the 
reality of their prophet by clear argument and 
evident demonstration, whereby their respective 
religions and prophets might be distinguished, 
each from the other. 



The Third Introduction. 183 

If the followers of any religion cling to the mira- 
cles which they attribute to their prophet, and 
which are recorded in their books, they will find 
the same is the case with other religions. The 
Jews have collected the miracles of Moses (Peace 
be upon Him !) in their historical works ; the Chris- 
tians have written of the miracles of Christ (Glory 
be to Him !) ; the Mussulmans have set forth the 
miracles of Mohammed in their compilations; like- 
wise the Buddhists, Brahamans, and Zoroastri- 
ans relate the miracles of their prophets in their 
books. 

In the "Debistan," a work containing historical 
records of religions and creeds, we find stories and 
traditions concerning the Brahaman and Zoroas- 
trian miracles, the like of which scarcely exist in 
other religions and sects. 

Yet, miracles and wonders are not a fundamental 
testimony of the truth of the Manifestations of the 
Command of God; nay, rather, their testimony is 
of a secondary and auxiliary nature. They are sim- 
ply confirmatory and non-essential proofs, — which 
fact will be explained in its proper place, if it 
please God. 

If the adherents of any religion maintain that 
they possess a book which they believe to be Di- 
vine, they will find the same statement and claim 
in other religions. Thus, the Jews believe in the 
Bible, the Christians in the Gospels, the Moslems 
in the Koran, — each regarding them as Heavenly 
Books and inspired writings. Likewise, the Hin- 
dus have held to the Vedas, the Zoroastrians to 



1 84 The Third Introduction. 

the Zend-Avesta, and the Confucians to the book 
of Confucius. 

If they adhere to their precepts, ordinances, reg- 
ulations and laws which appertain to spiritual de- 
votions and development of man, they will find 
them equally existing in other religions and 
creeds. "Thou canst not find any difference in 
the creation of the Merciful One." 

If they hold to the prophecies in earlier books 
and ancient records, — as the Moslems hold to the 
texts of the Gospels when proving the truth of 
Mohammed, and as the Christians rest upon the 
utterances of the Israelitish prophets in demon- 
strating the truth of our Lord Christ, — it would 
then be necessary to prove the validity of the 
givers of the prophecies; inasmuch as an earnest 
seeker would not be satisfied without being led 
to a valid conclusion. 

This will finally necessitate the acknowledgment 
of the Divine and Great Power, the heavenly and 
dominant Energy ; the ultimate arrival at an inev- 
itable conclusion, which we have termed the "Log- 
ical Proof" and decisive Argument. But the lead- 
ers of religions, as we have already stated, do not 
wish to admit this manifest proof or to walk in this 
clear highway. This would prevent their denial 
of the Manifestations of God, and entirely counter- 
act their rejection of the Day-Springs of the Com- 
mand of God. As this Divine Power is given to 
each one of the Dawning-places of the Lights of 
God, these religious leaders, should they acknowl- 
edge it, would be compelled necessarily to ac- 



The Third Introduction. 185 

knowledge all of them. As they are not able to 
prove the truth of their religion, and do not know 
how to demonstrate the validity of their prophet, 
they adhere to every falsehood and cling to every 
abomination, satisfying their followers with ficti- 
tious ideas, and deluding them with confused 
dreams. Should they adhere to the above-men- 
tioned clear truth and manifest argument, they 
would avoid the need of such deplorable action. 

THE SECOND RESULT— is the appearance 
of great numbers who repudiate all the religions, 
and so encourage the spread of blasphemous be- 
liefs, such as denying the prophets and contradict- 
ing Divine laws, notwithstanding their acknowl- 
edgment of the existence of God. This is the case 
with most of the material philosophers and belated 
wanderers in the deserts of natural phenomena. 
Such philosophers deny all the prophets and mes- 
sengers and believe that the instituting of laws and 
religions is the product of human intellect, instead 
of being the outcome of the Divine, Invisible Will. 
They, however, believe in the existence of a god 
which is not beyond the limit of imagination. 
This has already been described under the subject 
of "Divine Unity, ,, and demonstrated in explaining 
the meaning of Oneness. 

Among them, some have gone so far as to deny 
even the existence of the Essence of God the Ex- 
alted, persevering in this opinion and contradict- 
ing everything supernatural. Some others have 
persisted so far in these false ideas and supersti- 
tions that they have been driven into the wilder- 



186 The Third Introduction. 

ness of obscure beliefs, have become heedless of 
the victorious Power of God, deluded by the de- 
ceitful flashing sophistries of human learning, im- 
agining their own weak souls capable of instituting 
laws, and their fickle and inefficient minds as able 
to found religions. They have arisen and put for- 
ward false claims, assuming great and lofty posi- 
tions, such as prophethood or Divinity itself, and 
instituting religious systems. This is demon- 
strated in history and evidenced by the present 
conditions. 

Moreover, the evil deeds of the spiritual chiefs 
and doctors of laws, such as the Mussulman di- 
vines, Christian bishops, Jewish priests, and other 
religious leaders among the Zoroastrians, Bud- 
dhists and Hindus, have greatly aided them in their 
pride and encouraged them in maintaining such 
evils as denying the Divine Essence, contradicting 
heavenly laws, or putting forward false and dar- 
ing claims. The ignorance of these leaders as to 
the religious facts, their shameful deeds and evil 
management in educating the people, and their ad- 
herence to religious tricks and intrigues in satisfy- 
ing men with fictitious beliefs, have led numbers 
of people to doubt the origin of Divine Religion, 
and have rendered them apt to incline toward the 
beliefs of natural philosophers. Great congrega- 
tions and parties have been multiplied and propa- 
gated, notably during the last century, who deny 
the prophets, scoff at all religions, ridicule every 
spiritual calling and reject all the devotional acts 
and religious ceremonies. Their evil end, great 



The Third Introduction. 187 

dismay and misfortune, are known to men of dis- 
cernment, as is clearly spoken by Peter the Apos- 
tle in His prophecies and epistles. 

From what we have already explained and set 
forth, it is evident that all these corruptions and 
evils have resulted from the denial and ignorance 
of such people concerning the Heavenly and Great 
Power which God has made to be an evident char- 
acteristic of His Prophets, a manifest sign of 
His Chosen Ones, a clear standing light 
for His Road and Pathway and an accurate 
standard for recognizing the proof and argument 
of His Truth. How often has God proven the 
weakness of human strength and the feebleness 
and impotence of the material and phenomenal 
against this heavenly Power? The people of the 
world have long resisted it, but were finally dis- 
mayed; nations both of the East and West have 
wrestled with it, but were overthrown. This 
Power was opposed, in the appearance of Moses, 
by the Pharaohs ; in the Manifestation of Christ, by 
the Jews and emperors ; and in the rise of Moham- 
med, by the Persian kings and Arabs. It has also 
been opposed by false prophets, who have at- 
tempted to found a religion without the permis- 
sion of God; falsely and presumptuously laying 
claim to prophethood, as is testified and recorded 
in history. The histories of *Mazdak, in the days 



•The story of Mazdak. in the days of Kin* Kobad, the father of the 
Great Anoshirwan, is given in the history of "6hah-Nameh" of Fir- 
dowsy, and also in all the Persian histories. 



i88 The Third Introduction. 

of King Kobad; of the Jew, "Sad Dawlah; of 
a Argoon-Khan, the Mongol, in Persia; "Ala'adin 
El Khaledge, in India; and the French Philos- 
ophers during the Revolution of 1792, are all 
warnings and admonitions to the prudent and 
to the people of the Book. These philoso- 
phers, wise men, kings and statesmen attempted, 
through their great ingenuity and the abundance 
of their science and learning, to institute a religion 
of simpler laws, regulations, doctrines and princi- 
ples within the range of average capacities and 
minds, suitable to all tastes and conformable to 
the time and circumstances. Conditions proved 
favorable to their desires, and the civil and military 
leaders submitted to their opinions and plans. 
But God frustrated their ideas, disappointed their 
hopes, dispersed their congregations, and showed 
the folly of their imaginations, until their histories 
remain as warnings to the men of honor and as 
admonitions to the people of discernment and per- 
ception. 

For what reason have the doctors of Darwinism 
taken the resemblance of some human bones to 
those of ourang-outangs as a decisive proof of the 
fact that mankind has descended from the apes? 
Why have they considered this evidence, notwith- 



*Sad Dawlah, the Jew, was the Vizier of Argoon-Khan, the Mongol, 
in Persia. 

a Argoon-Khan was the son of Abaka-Khan, the son of Hulakoo- 
Khan, the son of Tuluy, the son of Genghiz-Khan, the Mongol. 

Argoon-Khan reigned in Persia from 683 to 690 A. H. (1291 A. D.). 
His life is recorded in the history written by Wassaf, the contemporary 
and historian of this Dynasty. 

3 Ala'adin El Khaledge was the King of India at Delhi, in 69S A. H. 
He was a great King of India during the latter part of the 13th Cen- 
tury, and belonged to the Dynasty of Khaledge. Pull particulars con- 
cerning his attempt to found a new religion are given in the history 
of Farishte, one of the greatest historical works of India. 



The Third Introduction. 189 

standing its shallowness and invalidity, as being 
a final certificate that man has gained his growth, 
existence and heredity from the race of ourang- 
outangs? They have regarded apes as their an- 
cestors, but have not considered the Power which 
alone has conquered the world and subdued na- 
tions as being a proof of the fact that the Mani- 
fested and Dawning-places of this Power have 
been Divine men and heavenly personages. Could 
the habit of smoking, evidenced by a single ourang- 
outang, and its likeness in body to the form of 
some of the African savages, prove its homoge- 
neity with mankind ? The apes differ widely from 
savages in numerous things, such as intelligence, 
the comprehension of general subjects, the 
capacity of attaining perfection, etc. Shall all this 
be esteemed and admitted as proof, while the sub- 
jugation of Pharaohs, domination of kings and 
tyrants by the rise of a single individual, without 
assistance or encouragement by any ruler, author- 
ity or learning, is not considered evidence that such 
a man is assisted by an Invisible, Divine Power? 

Indeed, this is a strange philosophy, — an amaz- 
ing wisdom and discernment ! How true is the 
warning of the great Apostle Paul : — "Beware, lest 
any man spoil you through philosophy and vain 
deceit." 

From what we have described and explained, it 
follows that the "Logical Proof" is the greatest 
and clearest argument as to the truth of the Mani- 
festations of the Command of God. It also fol- 
lows that the stability of the Word and the 



19° The Third Introduction. 

continuance of a religion is the strongest proof 
and firmest evidence as to the truth of a mission 
and the founder of a Faith. For should we dis- 
regard this clear proof and evident argument, as 
is the case with every denier and opposer, the 
philosophical-minded among people would be com- 
pelled to accept unknown imaginations and ab- 
surd and unintelligible theories, such as the chain 
and concatenation of causes, or the absence of 
cause and origin, as previously explained. The 
religious-minded among them would then be neces- 
sarily unable to prove the truth of their religion 
and the validity of their faith. 

This proof is named the proof of continuance 
or stability, because the continuance of a religion 
and the stability of the Word is an establishment 
of its truth, made by God, and is a testimony of 
its reality. It is absurd to think God incapable 
of annulling falsehood and crushing the unreal. 
He has not forgotten His promises to suppress 
false claimants and destroy seducers. This is con- 
firmed in books and writings, and preserved in the 
prophecies uttered by saints and prophets. 

THIRD PROOF— THE WORKING OF 
WONDERS AND MIRACLES:— By these are 
meant deeds which are beyond the normal 
power of mankind to perform; wonders which 
proceed from the Manifestations of the Cause 
of God, as a favor or performed in accord- 
ance with the demands of people. Among 
these are causing stones to speak, trees to move, 
quickening the dead, changing a rod into a serpent, 



The Third Introduction. 19 l 

and numerous other miracles which are said to 
have been performed by the prophets and saints. 
The ancient peoples regarded such events as Ayat 
(Signs). The word Ay eh (Sign) means literally a 
token, and is derived from the Semitic language, 
out of which the Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, Baby- 
lonian, and some of the African languages have 
originated. 

Whenever a messenger of God announced his 
mission, he would be asked to reveal the sign of 
his prophethood, that is, the token of the truth 
of his statement and the genuineness of his claim. 
We find it recorded by St. Matt., ch. xii., vs. 38 to 
40: — "Then certain of the scribes and of the 
Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see 
a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto 
them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh 
after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to 
it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as 
Jonas was three days and three nights in the 
whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three 
days and three nights in the heart of the earth." 
Likewise, in (ch. xvi., vs. 1 to 5) the same Gospel: — 
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and 
tempting desired him that he would shew a sign 
from heaven. He answered and said unto them, 
When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: 
for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be 
foul weather to-day : for the sky is red and lowering. 
O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the 
sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? 
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after 



i9 2 The Third Introduction. 

a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, 
but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left 
them, and departed." 

The interpretation of these verses is, that a 
number of the Jewish doctors temptingly asked our 
Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to Him!) to show 
them a heavenly miracle and a Divine wonder, as 
a sign of His Truth and a token of His Christhood; 
so that they might believe in Him and confess His 
Religion. He answered, that they, by their sagac- 
ity, had reached such a degree of intelligence that 
they could foretell fair weather and rain from the 
aspect of the sky; that the husbandmen and vil- 
lagers, when they saw the sky red at sundown, 
would take it as a sign of fair weather, while a 
"lowering red" at sunrise presaged rain. 

He silenced them by saying, that they who could 
discern the face of the sky and distinguish the times 
of the change of weather should be able to know 
the signs of the time of the coming of prophets, 
and of the renewal of laws and religions ; inasmuch 
as they posed as doctors of religion, and were con- 
sidered the heirs and guardians of the knowledge 
of prophets and messengers. Christ meant that 
the divergence of beliefs and sects, the variety of 
thoughts and opinions, the indifference of people 
toward Divine ordinances and regulations, and 
their indulgence in low desires and bodily luxuries, 
— all of which are described by prophets as the 
"rending of the heavens," the "shaking of the 
pillars of the firmament," — are the strongest 
proofs of the approach of the Manifestation 



The Third Introduction. *93 

of God, and the clearest signs of the coming 
of the time of the renewal of the religion of God. 
Thus He said : — "A wicked and adulterous genera- 
tion seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign 
be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet 
Jonas." By this Christ has repeated the applica- 
tion of the term "Sign" to miracle and wonder, 
and has confirmed the truth that seeking after 
miracles and temptingly demanding signs from the 
Manifestations of the Command of God is a char- 
acteristic of the wicked and adulterous, the reason 
of which will be explained later on. 

In the Koran, also, the word "Sign" is applied to 
miracle or wonder, as is clearly shown in the verse 
speaking of the deniers: — "Let him (Mohammed) 
come unto us therefore with some sign, in like 
manner as the former prophets were sent." Also 
(ch. T. H.) : — "(The unbelievers) say, Unless he 
come unto us with a Sign from his Lord, (we will 
not believe on him). Hath not a plain declaration 
come unto them, of that which (is contained) in the 
former volumes" (of Scripture), (by the revelation 
of the Koran)? 

That is to say, the deniers of his prophethood 
argued: — "If Mohammed is a prophet sent by God, 
why then does he not show unto us a Divine 
miracle and a heavenly wonder, as a proof of the 
truth of his mission and word?" Then Moham- 
med answered: — "Have I not brought you the 
Koran, which is a clear explanation of the Bible, 
the Gospels, and the writings of the Israelitish 
prophets?" 



i94 The Third Introduction. 

As we have demonstrated in the course of the 
first argument, the Book of God is the first sign 
which indicates the truth of a prophetic word. It 
is the greatest argument of a Divine mission, espe- 
cially when this great sign and glorious miracle 
fortifies itself by explaining that which has been 
symbolically uttered in the old Divine volumes and 
closed and sealed up in the former heavenly Scrip- 
tures, such as prophecies of future events, mys- 
teries of Resurrection and the renewal of Creation, 
determination of their appointed times, the record 
of their evidences and conditions, and even the 
announcement of the Dawning-Place from which 
these signs and mysteries will appear. Inasmuch 
as philosophers and wise men were not able to 
apprehend these points, solve these allegories or 
break their seals before their realization and occur- 
rence, how could this be done by one who had 
never studied in a college nor read in any school? 
Whence the power and wisdom of one who had 
never been occupied in teaching or learning, nor 
considered a student? Is not this the clearest evi- 
dence that the Book was a heavenly sign, a spiritual 
gift, and the greatest proof and argument that the 
words and passages it contained had proceeded 
from the Holy Reality and descended from the 
pure Divine Essence? 

During the middle ages of Islam the Moham- 
medan doctors applied the word "miracle" to won- 
ders which human beings are unable to perform, 
and termed them supernatural. They divided 
supernatural things into many kinds; for instance, 



The Third Introduction. 195 

when these wonders proceeded from a man and 
coincided with his claim of prophethood,they called 
them Mo'jaza (miracles). When performed by a 
prophet before he claimed his mission, they were 
designated Ir-hass (miracles previous to the mis- 
sion). When these supernatural actions appeared 
from saints and holy ones, they were named 
Keramat (liberality) ; but when such appeared 
from misleaders and impious ones, they were called 
Seh'r (sorcery). These words and terms were cir- 
culated in the language of writers and doctors, 
until finally, becoming literary words and secondary 
facts, they were introduced into dictionaries. But 
all of these terms, except the word "miracle," which 
has a clear relation with the intended meaning, are 
weak terminologies and deficient deductions. 
They have proceeded from ignorance of scientific 
facts and theoretical analogies, as is known to such 
as have sound discernment in etymological points; 
especially the meanings of the words Keramat 
(liberality) and Khareki-Adat.* 

Liberality is the antonym of avarice, and thus it 
can be applied to the generosity and liberality 
shown forth by the saints of God ; for this is the 
personal honor which they have gained through 
their nearness to the Divine Threshold, and has no 
relation to superstitions and inventions. 

As to the term Khareki-Adat : this signifies the 
changing of the natural habits and customs of 



•This literally means "things which rend or change the habits of 
men"; but the Oriental doctors have misued this term and taken it to 
mean "supernatural." 



196 The Third Introduction. 

men by a prophet; such as the changing of the 
natural customs of the Hebrews in the rites of 
their religion and ceremonies of their laws. As 
one of the signs of the coming of the Manifesta- 
tions of God is the changing of the rites and ordi- 
nances of the former religion and laws, — as those 
of the Jews were changed with the advent of Christ 
(Glory be to Him !), and those of the Sabeans and 
Parsees by Mohammed, — therefore, men of dis- 
cernment have considered these changes as being 
one of the greatest signs and clearest proofs of the 
power of the Word of God and the appearance 
of the Prophets of God. See ch. vii., v. 12, of the 
Epistle to the Hebrews: — "For the priesthood be- 
ing changed, there is made of necessity a change 
also of the law." That is, when the prophethood is 
renewed, there will be of necessity a renewal of 
laws and a change of ordinances. 

This is the real and reasonable meaning of the 
word Khareki-Adat, instead of that which is im- 
agined by the people of superstition and false ideas. 
That which is not customary to people cannot 
be regarded as natural and customary, in order 
to justify the application of the term "changing 
the custom" (Khareki-Adat) to the performance of 
the opposite. It cannot be assumed that "not 
raising the dead" has been a natural habit of peo- 
ple, to show that "quickening of the dead" might 
be regarded as supernatural. Nor can it be said 
that "not dividing the sea," "not drying the river," 
or "not cleaving the moon" have been natural 
habits of people, so that the performance of such 



The Third Introduction. 197 

actions could be termed "supernatural." But ob- 
serving the Sabbath day has been one of the nat- 
ural habits of the Jews which was rent by our 
Lord Jesus Christ, and changed into the observ- 
ance of Sunday. Divorce, sacrifice, polygamy, 
and similar other rites, were also rent, changed 
and reformed by Christ. Likewise, burying fe- 
male children alive, showing homage to images, 
praying before idols, fire-worshipping, and other 
similar practices were confirmed habits of the 
Arabs and Persians, — all of which habits were de- 
stroyed by Mohammed, and changed into Moham- 
medan laws. These are the supernatural things 
which the prudent consider as the deeds of the 
prophets and the characteristics of the heavenly 
messengers, and not what has been invented by 
the imaginations of the superstitious or forged by 
the thoughts of the ignorant. 

As to Seh'r (sorcery) ; its meaning, in ordinary 
acceptance, is but a remnant of the imaginations 
of former dark ages, the dense obscurity of which 
was dispersed by the lights of the dawn of the Sun 
of Truth, and its clouds cleared away by the blow- 
ing of the Breezes of Knowledge and Wisdom. 
The word "sorcery" spoken of in the holy books, 
means Batil (falsehood) ; inasmuch as the antag- 
onists of the prophets held to false things, and 
considered the deeds of the prophets to be the 
same. Therefore the words "sorcery" and "sor- 
cerers" were applied to falsehood and the adher- 
ents of vanities, in the words of the Elect. But 
with the lapse of time and centuries they became 



J98 The Third Introduction. 

wrapped up in the webs of superstition, and thus 
their real meanings became concealed, as is the 
case with all the words revealed in the writings of 
the Elect. This is a sufficient explanation to those 
who are endowed with perception and insight. 

O ye people of Beha! Now that you under- 
stand the meanings of such words, know you (may 
God illumine your insight, increase the purity of 
your conscience, enlighten your hearts and minds 
through His Manifest Light !) that the proofs and 
arguments must needs be in connection with the 
subject which is to be proven and demonstrated; 
otherwise they cannot be accounted as proofs, 
even though they might be very wonderful and 
astonishing. For instance, if a certain person 
claims to be a physician and seeks to prove the 
validity of his claim by flying in the air, the truth 
of his claim would not, of necessity, be proven, 
even if he did so. Flight in the air is not a charac- 
teristic endowment of a physician, and there is no 
connection between the medical profession and 
flight, even though soaring in the air is extremely 
amazing. But healing sicknesses, removing dis- 
eases, physical diagnosis and treatment are charac- 
teristics of medical science and confirmatory evi- 
dences of the truth of a physician's claim. Again, 
if a man claims to be an engineer, his proof cannot 
be in quickening the dead. If he claims to be a 
writer, his evidence is not in the fact that he causes 
stones to speak ; or if he claims to be an orator, his 
proof is not in cleaving the sea asunder, etc. Such 
performances cannot prove their respective state- 



The Third Introduction. *99 

ments, validate their claims, nor be considered as 
proofs and arguments. There is no connection 
whatever between these practices and claims; as is 
clearly and decisively evident to such as reflect 
upon the meaning of proof and argument. 

It is said by the erudite Professor Cornelius 
Vandyk, of America, in the 8th part of his book, 
written in Arabic and entitled, "Naksh-Fil-Hajar" 
("Engraving on Stone"), on "Logic": — "Man be- 
ing subject to mistake as to logical matters, it is 
good for him to avail himself of applied logic, 
which may preserve him from mistake and, direct 
him to the real fact. So that he may not consider 
as a cause, things which are not causes, nor as con- 
clusions things which are not conclusions; and 
may not build on a corrupt foundation, nor regard 
as arguments, things which are not arguments. 
It is said by Imam-el-Gazali, — 'If a man say that 
the number four is more than ten, and that he 
demonstrates this by transforming a rod into a 
serpent, even though I be astonished at the trick 
of the performer, yet I will firmly stand by the fact 
that four is less than ten, etc/ This evinces that 
in such a case, there would not be any relation 
between the argument and the matter which is to 
be proven; therefore it cannot be considered as 
an argument." 

Since we understand this introduction, we now 
can easily apprehend that there is neither connec- 
tion nor relationship between having the faculty 
of producing miracles and wonders and the claim 
of prophethood. Verily, prophethood is no other 



200 The Third Introduction. 

than the mission of a man on the part of God the 
Exalted for the guidance of people, and this fact 
has no connection whatever with cleaving seas 
asunder, bringing water out of rocks, causing 
stones and trees to speak, etc. These actions 
have no connection with the meaning of prophet- 
hood, which signifies mediatorship between the 
creatures and their Creator, delivery of His ordi- 
nances and messages, instructing them in His laws 
and devotional acts. The prophet's mission is 
reformation of moral principles, development of 
spiritual graces, and beautifying characters. 
Verily, demanding miracles from the prophets and 
temptingly seeking signs from the Manifestations 
of the Command of God, is like asking governors 
and rulers to show forth deeds which are becom- 
ing to kings and absolute sovereigns, in order to 
prove the truth of their claims as rulers; so that 
the subjects may deem it their duty to obey them. 
In fact, their dignity can only be demonstrated by 
the firmans of their kings, and corroborated by 
the charters of their governments. For example, 
a man may claim to be the ruler of Egypt on the 
part of the Sultan. A party of the inhabitants of 
the country deny him, and demand of him an 
evidence of the truth of his authority. Naturally 
he proves his position by the charter of his Sultan 
and the firman of his Government. Should they 
repudiate his firman, deny his charter and de- 
mand that he show forth some of the actions per- 
taining to the characteristics of the kings and sov- 
ereigns, such as fitting out armies, conquering 



The Third Introduction. 201 

countries, destroying fortresses, slaying and cap- 
turing men, dismissing ministers and appointing 
chiefs, — he certainly will not fulfill their demand, 
nor grant their wishes, but will depend upon his 
firman and prove his authority through the char- 
ter of his King, even though he may possess the 
power to perform the demands made upon him. 
There are certain reasons and times for execu- 
tions, imprisonments, appointments, discharges, 
equipment of armies, and the conquest of coun- 
tries. Rulers do not perform these things except 
when expedient for the circumstances and de- 
manded by the law. To this particular point the 
following verse revealed in the Heavenly Books 
refers : — "And no apostle doth bring a sign, unless 
by the permission of God." This proves that the 
mission of prophets and the sending of spiritual 
messengers is similar to the appointment of rulers 
and the sending of governors in the phenomenal 
world, as is evident to the men of perception and 
to such as are endowed with sight. 

Since we now understand the lack of connection 
between the claim of prophethood and the power 
of doing things habitually impossible, and realize 
the contrast between them, we can comprehend 
the meaning of that which has been formerly men- 
tioned, viz., — that miracles and wonders are auxil- 
iary and confirmatory evidences and not essential 
and principal arguments. We see also that they 
are as secondary supports to the truth of the mani- 
festations of the Command of God, and not pri- 
mary indications. This is the reason why the 



202 The Third Introduction. 

prophets refused to produce such signs, rely upon 
them, and adduce them as proofs, as is outlined 
from the verses recorded in St. Matt., ch. xii., v. 39, 
and ch. xvi., v. 4: — "A wicked and adulterous gen- 
eration seeketh after a sign; and there shall no 
sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet 
Jonas." 

Verily the Prophets, on account of their evident 
proofs, their great powers, the effectiveness of 
their words, and the prevalence of their ordinances, 
are in no need of producing proofs which show 
no indication of the truth of their claim and the 
validity of their mission. This of itself is a clear 
and principal indication, — a manifest and evident 
proof. 

Moreover, temptingly demanding signs and 
miracles from the Manifestations of God is identi- 
cal with tempting the Lord Himself, which act is 
prohibited by God the Exalted, in the Holy Bible. 
He has warned us expressly against this: — "Thou 
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." As formerly 
explained and proved, tempting the Essence of 
God the Exalted is no other than tempting Its 
Manifestations and Dawning-places ; and testing 
the prophets by seeking signs and miracles from 
them, is the meaning of "tempting the Lord." 
This is identical with pride evinced towards God, 
contradicting the Desire of God, antagonizing His 
Will, and thwarting His Wisdom; all of which 
lead to ruin and desolation, and entail destruc- 
tion and perdition. It is also revealed in the 
Heavenly Books : — "And we send not signs but for 
intimidation." 



The Third Introduction. 203 

Thus Jesus Christ (Glory be to Him!) silenced 
the Jewish tempter, who had set Him upon a pin- 
nacle of the Temple of Solomon, and tempted Him 
to cast Himself down from that lofty edifice, by 
saying to Him : — "If thou be the Son of God . . . 
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee as 
it is written.' , Christ answered him: — "It is writ- 
ten again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy 
God." This signifies that testing Christ was iden- 
tical with testing and tempting God, an act strictly 
prohibited in the Book of God. This answer, not- 
withstanding its brevity and conciseness, is full 
of grace and strength, for besides being an argu- 
ment forbidding the demanding of miracles from 
the Manifestations of the Command of God, it also 
silenced by showing that in citing the texts of the 
Book against Christ the tempter had himself con- 
tradicted its commandments and ordinances. 

It is characteristic of the enemies of God to 
hold to the literal form of the words of the Books 
of God, in denying the Manifestations of His Com- 
mand and Behest, while they neglect those texts 
which clearly indicate the truth of their Manifesta- 
tion, prove the reality of their Dawn, confirm their 
word, and eloquently pronounce the validity of 
their claim. Thus they fulfill this verse revealed 
in the Book: — "Do you therefore believe in part 
of the Book and reject other part thereof? But 
whoso among you doth this, shall have no other 
reward than shame in this life, and on the day of 
Resurrection they shall be sent to a most grievous 
punishment." 



2Q4 The Third Introduction. 

The prophets' refusal to work miracles is not 
because of their being" absurd and impracticable, 
or that they are impossible, as is imagined by some 
so-called philosophers; for possibility and impossi- 
bility are not of the essential qualities of things; 
nay, rather, they are relative and comparative. 
There are many facts which are accounted as pos- 
sible for a certain species, while the same are im- 
practicable for another. The actions which are 
peculiar to mankind are possible to man, yet im- 
possible to other species of animals, supernatural 
to them and beyond their power. Likewise the 
acts natural to animals are possible for them and 
impracticable to the vegetable. Therefore mir- 
acles seem impossible to mankind, yet are possible 
to the Manifestations of the Command of God, be- 
cause of the perfection of the Holy Spirit manifest 
within them, and the comprehensiveness of the 
Sacred Power which has descended upon them. 
In truth, a Man in whom the Supreme Power is 
manifest and from whom Divine Attributes pro- 
ceed; who has singly subdued the world and 
dominated nations; who has prophesied future 
events in a particular as well as general sense, all 
of which prophecies are fulfilled and have come to 
pass, even after the lapse of ages and centuries; — 
nothing is beyond the capacity of a Man who has 
done all these things through His perfect Spirit, 
pervading Power, lofty essence and vast strength, 
nor is He neglectful of any matter. Refusal to 
show wonders and signs demanded is not on ac- 
count of their inability to perform them, or be- 



The Third Introduction. 205 

cause they are impracticable; but it is because of 
the fact that miracles and wonders are not things 
which can prove the truth of their mission and the 
validity of their claim. Nor are they a complete 
and primary indication which could satisfy a dili- 
gent seeker and earnest investigator, as has been 
already described in detail. For it is clear to an 
intelligent enquirer that, should he confine him- 
self to wonders and miracles in attempting to 
prove the truth of the prophets, it would end in 
a collision of proofs and a conflict between argu- 
ments. Because such wonders and miracles are 
not permanent and everlasting proofs, as are the 
verses of the Book. To these proofs every one 
may have access and recourse; may be directed to 
the conclusion, and may demonstrate the cause by 
the effect; Moreover, these wonders will neces- 
sarily be handed down to others through tradi- 
tions and records, especially throughout future 
centuries and generations. If every nation gave 
credit to that which was handed down to it con- 
cerning its prophet, the founder of its faith, its re- 
ligious leaders and saints, and the sepulchres of its 
holy men, — there would be, in such case, a collision 
of proofs and a conflict of arguments. Thus the 
right path would be concealed, the finger-posts of 
guidance destroyed, the highway of religion dark- 
ened, and the lights of truth and assurance dis- 
appear. Are not the Roman Catholics resting 
upon the wonders and miracles which they nar- 
rate of their former bishops and monks? Does 
not the Greek Church rest upon those related of 



206 The Third Introduction. 

their monks and bishops; the Sunnites upon the 
wonderful acts and supernatural deeds attributed 
to their doctors and holy ones; and the Shi'ah 
upon those narrated of their Imams and leaders? 
Such is the case with other religions and creeds. 

O thou excellent reader ! Strip thyself from thine 
old garment of imitation, abstain from religious 
fanaticism and racial egotism; ascend through the 
power of perception to the summit of investiga- 
tion, and place the adherents of all the religions, 
peoples, creeds and sects, before thy view. Then 
look with the gaze of a discerning man from that 
lofty and exalted station. Thou wilt see different 
peoples, various and contradictory nations, each 
renouncing the other; while each possesses books 
filled with wonders and miracles attributed to its 
own prophets and saints. These books contain 
the adulation of their chosen ones, and the won- 
drous conditions and lives of their leaders; a mass 
of reading which could not be completed in cycles; 
and numerous lives would pass away before they 
could be finished. So look upon them, consider 
them, and answer by thy truth: if all these con- 
tradictory miracles and various wonders be con- 
sidered as a reliable proof and argument which 
could be rested upon, how then could the true 
among them be known from the false, the right 
from wrong, the guides from misleaders; and what 
could distinguish between guidance and error, the 
way of salvation and the way of perdition? 

From what has been clearly explained in detail, 
it is manifest that miracles and wonders are not 



The Third Introduction. 207 

proofs of a primary nature which could indepen- 
dently indicate the truth of the claimant; nay, 
rather, they are only secondary proofs and auxil- 
iary demonstration as to the truth of the Manifes- 
tations of the Command of God and the Dawn- 
ing-places of the Religion of God. It is impossible to 
deny the ability of the Manifestations of God to 
perform miracles, in face of what has been ex- 
plained concerning the inherence of their power; 
to which fact their disciples and the contents of 
their books and writings testify. Even granting 
this, however, it is impossible to believe all the 
miracles and wonders which are related of them. 

One of the correct rules held by the divines and 
theologians, in connection with this subject, is that 
miracles traditionally related of a prophet or 
founder of a Religion, and not contradictory to his 
own words, are undoubtedly true. These can be 
taken as a proof of his truth and a confirmatory 
evidence of the validity of his claim. Such are the 
miracles which have been witnessed by former 
nations, and those which have been authenticated 
in the Manifestation of the Cause of God during: 
this sacred and manifest Century. But if there is 
any contrast or discrepancy between the alleged 
miracles and the Prophet's Words, then the mir- 
acles must be considered as allegorical narrations 
which need to be explained, so that they may har- 
monize with the usages of the Prophets of God 
and agree with the Utterances of the Manifesta- 
tions of the Command of God. 



2o8 The Third Introduction. 

But the general rule, which is regarded as au- 
thoritative by the learned and philosophers, is that 
if the wonders and miracles related of the Prophets 
are connected with the perfection of the Sacred 
Spirit manifested in them and with Its power and 
predominance, then such can be considered as real, 
accurate facts, and secondary auxiliary proofs. 
Otherwise, they will be accounted mere fabricated 
traditions; falsities invented by pretended love 
when it deviates from the true path. 

What has already been mentioned is sufficient 
for such as have a clear perception of the Divine 
methods and of the natural laws after which the 
world is made. 

THE FOURTH PROOF:— This relates to 
the prophecies revealed in the Heavenly Books, 
concerning the appearance of a subsequent 
manifestation, whom God will send to guide 
nations, found laws of religion and renew them 
at the appointed time. Such are the prophecies 
given by Moses and the Israelitish prophets con- 
cerning the Manifestation of Christ (Glory be to 
Him!); those given by Mohammed and the Imams 
of his household regarding the Appearance of the 
Mahdi (Precursor); and the utterances of all the 
Prophets and founders of religions concerning the 
coming of the Day of God, and the Manifestation 
of the Spirit for promoting the Cause of God. 

There is no extant religion whose founder has 
not reserved a part of his book for prophecies 
concerning one whom God would manifest subse- 
quent to him; one who would renew religion and 



The Third Introduction. 209 

its glory. All religions, likewise, contain prophe- 
cies regarding the "Final Salvation" by the "Great 
Manifestation," the Mighty "Resurrection," and 
the "Most Great Hour," which former books have 
likewise unanimously announced. This proof is 
one of the clear arguments, manifest and reliable 
evidences which demonstrate the truth of our Lord 
the Exalted, the Supreme. It has been proved in 
the previous introductions that the appearance of 
the Manifestations of the Cause of God are really 
the Manifestations of the Holy and Divine Reality, 
Single in Essence, and that all the prophets are re- 
spectively the Manifestations of that Single Re- 
ality and One Essence. So no difference exists 
among them, nor is there any variance in their 
truths. During the past centuries and former 
ages God the Exalted has entered into a covenant 
with nations, through the tongues of His prophets 
and messengers, concerning His next Manifesta- 
tion. This Covenant has been recorded in the 
prophets' books and writings, so that mankind 
might await the coming of the Day of His Mani- 
festation, be prepared for the illumination of His 
Light, lay hold of the handle of His religion, and 
be enlightened with the lamp of His laws and reg- 
ulations. For it is inconceivable that the people 
of the world could ever be without need of the Di- 
vine Manifestations ; that the order of human so- 
ciety could be founded upon anything but religious 
principles, or that human-made laws could suffice 
for the establishment of nations. That nations 
are in need of laws and regulations whereby their 



2io The Third Introduction. 

interests, properties, and lives may be preserved 
and their prosperity and permanence secured, is a 
clear fact, beyond need of any further explanation 
or production of argument. Religion is no other 
than a code of Divine regulations whereby society 
is supported and attainment to everlasting felicity 
is secured. To formulate such laws is far beyond 
the highest intellect of man, and the genius of the 
men of learning can never agree thereupon unless 
reinforced by Divine Sources. This fact is wit- 
nessed in the conditions of those former nations 
which had ascended the ladder of learning and civ- 
ilization. 

Have not the philosophers, doctors of divinity 
and chiefs among the great nations which as- 
cended the summit of glory and excellence, such 
as the Persians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Greeks, 
Turks and Indians, failed to produce such laws? 
Notwithstanding their abundant learning and great 
enlightenment, have laws been forthcoming upon 
which all their opinions would agree, and which 
would secure their happiness and permanence? 
The laws they have created, invariably failed to 
abolish savage and abominable customs, which 
their descendants and posterity ridicule, even in 
the present day. 

Therefore, among these high nations, such prac- 
tices have prevailed as offering children in sacrifice 
before idols, worshipping images, interring female 
children alive, violating chaste women in order to 
gain the favor of the goddess of Beauty, praying 
to fire, animals, rivers, trees ; and numerous other 



The Third Introduction. 211 

ruinous practices and vile deeds. These were con- 
sidered by them as standard customs, the most ex- 
cellent laws and modes of adoration. 

But God the Exalted prevented and abolished 
these, through the appearance of Divine Religions, 
and illumined human minds by the light of the 
Words of the Holy Manifestations. Similar ruin- 
ous customs and fictitious beliefs are still being 
discovered among all the present religions and ex- 
tant nations, the removal and abolition of which 
God the Almighty has ordained to be effected by 
the appearance of the Powerful Lord and the final 
great Salvation. This is evident to every one of 
discernment and perception. 

All that has been said indicates that verily the 
appearance of Divine Religions has been the 
greatest gift of Heaven for the preservation of so- 
ciety and the most glorious Divine bestowal for 
the accomplishment of human virtues. The 
Prophet's words concerning the Appearance of the 
next Manifestation, prepare those endowed with 
sound judgment for the acceptance of it, and 
make ready the possessors of pure hearts for re- 
sponse to it after its Appearance. Therefore, 
prophecies concerning a Manifestation whom God 
would cause to appear later for the quickening of 
the spiritually dead and reformation of existing 
laws, are considered as one of the greatest proofs 
and arguments, and a powerful confirmatory evi- 
dence of the truth of the Manifestations of God, 
the Lord of the Creatures. But, understanding 
these prophecies and apprehending their minute 



212 The Third Introduction. 

points and realities, depends upon having sound 
minds, pure hearts, sanctified breasts, and chaste 
souls. This will become evident through the clear 
and manifest proofs which will be explained later. 

Consequently the prophecies are regarded as 
secondary proofs in comparison with the Divine 
Book and Logical Argument. They are but lit- 
eral proofs. Literal proofs necessarily contain al- 
legories and symbolism. As languages radically 
change in the course of centuries and generations, 
these prophecies can scarcely be understood with- 
out interpretation after the lapse of one thousand 
years. Therefore it is impossible to rely upon 
their meanings without decisive analogies. So, 
literal proofs are accounted by the philosophers and 
rhetoricians as oral arguments, and not decisive 
ones. Moreover, the Divine prophecies recorded 
in the Holy Scriptures, as is clearly testified by 
their very texts, are no other than symbolical 
and sealed words, and the essential purpose 
thereof is closed up and unknown. But the open- 
ing of these seals and the elucidation of these al- 
legories have been apportioned to the coming of 
the time of the end, and to the advent of the great 
Hour. In face of this fact, the prophecies can 
only be regarded as auxiliary proofs, and not of 
the primary logical arguments. God willing, this 
subject will be considered in detail, in the course 
of the future introductions, and sufficient explana- 
tion will be given about it. 

We will now consider some of the principal 
points upon which depend the understanding of 



The Third Introduction. 213 

the texts of the Holy Scriptures, the solution of 
the symbols and allegories, the breaking of their 
seals and the opening of their treasuries. In this 
we rely upon God, the Revealer of Verses, the 
Manifester of proofs and evidences, the dispeller 
of the darkness of former things from heaven and 
earth. 

First, — Verily, the Prophets and Manifestations 
of God employed various metaphors in their writ- 
ings, and embellished their graceful explanations 
by all sorts of allegories and similes. Just as 
they have been in spirit, the Manifestations of the 
Names and Attributes of God and the Dawning- 
places of His Identity and Essence, so also they 
have been in bodily form, the manifestations of hu- 
manity. Thus they were subject to all human 
needs, such as food, drink, sleep, speech, social in- 
tercourse, and liable to physical accidents and 
other conditions. Indeed they were the most per- 
fect of mankind in regard to these qualities, and 
every human attribute has been manifest in them 
in its highest condition and greatest glory. As 
grace of explanation and eloquence of discourse 
are considered highest human accomplishments, 
inasmuch as they are the outcome of genius, lofty 
taste and brilliant minds ; — so these qualities have 
been manifest in the Messengers and Prophets 
who were the most excellent of mankind and were 
endowed with genius and brilliant intellects. 
Their explanations have appeared in the form of 
verses, and their words were revealed in songs. 
They surpassed all the men of eloquence in grace 



214 The Third Introduction. 

of style, and in the form of their explanations. 
They used symbolical points and concealed subtle 
meanings under the veils of allegories and allu- 
sions. Therefore the people of error have esti- 
mated these productions as fantastic trifles and 
mere poetry; the result of insanity and hallucina- 
tion. Thus the ignorant have gone so far as to 
say: — "Shall we abandon our Gods for a distracted 
poet?" (*Koran, ch. 37). All this is lack of knowl- 
edge of the Words of God, and inability of the 
spiritually dense to distinguish between the Heav- 
enly Revelation and human thoughts. God is far 
exalted above what the unjust assert, and holy 
above the imagination of the ignorant ! 

Second, — All that has been revealed in the Holy 
Books concerning the prophecies of the Day of 
God, Resurrection, the Manifestation of the Lord, 
the coming of the Hour, its signs, tokens, condi- 
tions and events, is in the form of symbols and al- 
legories, as explained above. Such are the "dark- 
ening of the sun and moon," the "falling of stars," 
the "rending of the heavens," "their disappearance 
and changing," the "trembling of the pillars of the 
earth," the "renewal of the earth," the "descend- 
ing of the Lord in the clouds," and similar other 
signs spoken of in the Books, and evident to men 
of perception. 

These words must of necessity have reasonable 
meanings outside their literal sense, as is clearly 
stated in the Heavenly Scriptures, thus: — (Isaiah, 

•This refers to the objections made by the Pagan Arabs to the writ- 
ings of Mohammed. 



The Third Introduction. 215 

ch. vi., vs. 9, 10) — "And he said, Go, and tell this 
people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; 
and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the 
heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, 
and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, 
and hear with their ears, and understand with their 
heart, and convert, and be healed." 

God sealed the hearts of the Jews lest they un- 
derstand the real meanings thereof, and shut their 
eyes lest they see them. For God had ordained 
the overthrow of their dominion and their degra- 
dation. He decreed their dispersion and suppres- 
sion, because of their injustice and evil deeds, and 
their great sin in falsely denying our Lord Christ, 
whose Manifestation they anxiously awaited. For 
the only source of the felicity or misery of every 
people and the origin of its honor or degradation, 
is the way it understands the words of its proph- 
ets during the Manifestation of the Promised One. 
This One alone is the nation's resource; and its 
honor and continuity depend upon its belief in 
Him. As the Jews did not understand the real 
meanings of the signs given in their Book con- 
cerning the Manifestation of the Promised One, 
but expected their literal fulfillment, which they 
did not see in the Manifestation of Christ, there- 
fore they falsely denied and rejected Him. Thus 
they brought about their own utter ruin, became 
subject to humiliation and degradation, and have 
been scattered in all countries and lands, even 
unto the present day. Had they apprehended the 
inner truths of these signs, they would have be- 



216 The Third Introduction. 

lieved in our Lord Jesus Christ, and would have 
thereby ascended the zenith of grandeur and glory. 
This is clearly stated in the Book and is evident to 
men of judgment. 

Likewise it is revealed in the Book of Daniel, 
ch. xii., v. 4: — "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the 
words, and seal the book, even to the time of the 
end." Also, v. 9: — "And he said, Go thy way, 
Daniel : for the words are closed up and sealed till 
the time of the end." These two verses clearly 
indicate that the purpose of the texts of the Book 
is not their literal, outward meaning which can be 
understood by every man and apprehended by 
every soul. Nay, rather, they have concealed 
meanings which would be necessarily closed up 
until the coming of the "end" and the Appearance 
of the Sun of Truth. 

Third, — The aforesaid great signs of the coming 
of the Day of God, the tokens of the appearance of 
the Manifestation of the Command of God and the 
emblems of the Hour and Resurrection, have all 
been revealed from the tongues of the prophets 
in every one of the Heavenly Books. They appear 
in the same style and in the same similes and alle- 
gories, although in different languages. 

Mohammed prophesied the coming of the Lord 
in the clouds, with His Angels, in the following 
words in the Koran : — 

"Do they expect less than that God should come 
down to them overshadowed with clouds, and the 
Angels also ? but the thing is decreed, and to God 
shall all things return. 



The Third Introduction. 217 

"The day whereon the Spirit and the Angels 
shall stand in order, they shall not speak, except 
he to whom the Merciful shall grant permission, 
and who shall say that which is right. " 

God, addressing Mohammed, said: — "And thy 
Lord shall come, and the angels rank by rank." 

Likewise, Mohammed said: — "On the day 
whereon the heaven shall appear in a visible 
smoke." 

He also spoke of the sun and moon, the falling 
and scattering of stars, the cleaving of heaven, the 
trembling of the pillars of earth, thus: — -"When 
the sun shall be folded up ; and when the stars shall 
fall ; and when the mountains shall be made to pass 
away." "When the heaven shall be cloven asun- 
der, and when the stars shall be scattered." 

"When the heaven shall be rent asunder, and 
shall obey its Lord, and shall be capable (thereof) ; 
and when the earth shall be stretched out." 

"When the earth shall be shaken as by earth- 
quake; and the earth shall cast forth her burdens." 

"O men, fear your Lord. Verily, the shock of 
the (last) Hour will be a terrible thing. On the 
day whereon ye shall see it, every woman who giv- 
eth suck shall forget (the infant) which she suck- 
leth, and every (female) that is with young shall 
cast her burden; and thou shalt see men (seem- 
ingly) drunk, yet they shall not be really drunk: 
but the punishment of God will be severe." 

Speaking of the changing of heaven and earth, 
and their renewal, he said: — "But they make not 
a due estimation of God: since the whole earth 



/ 



218 The Third Introduction. 

(shall be but) his handful, on the day of Resurrec- 
tion; and the heavens shall be rolled together in 
his right hand. Praise be unto him! and far be 
he exalted above what they associate with him !" 

"The day (will come, when) the earth shall be 
changed into another earth, and the heavens (into 
other heavens) ; and men shall come forth before 
God, the One, the Mighty !" 

There are also many other verses which cannot 
be quoted for lack of space. 

The same signs are spoken of in the Gospels, as 
revealed by God in St. Matt., ch. xxiv., v. 29: — "Im- 
mediately after the tribulation of those days shall 
the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give 

her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven " 

This passage contains all the signs spoken of in the 
Koran, concerning the descending of the Lord in 
the clouds with angels, the darkening of the sun, 
the shaking of the powers of heaven, and other 
fearful events. Likewise, clear points are recorded 
in the Second Epistle of St. Peter, ch. iii., concern- 
ing the passing away of the heavens and earth, the 
melting of the elements, and the coming of the 
new heaven and earth with their light and efful- 
gence. The 2 1 st ch. of Revelation also contains 
prophecies concerning the new heaven and new 
earth, the passing away of former things, and 
other signs and tokens. Similar texts are re- 
vealed in the Old Testament, as follows: — 

Deut., ch. xxviii., vs. 23, 24: — "And thy heaven 
that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth 
that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall 



The Third Introduction. 219 

make the rain of thy land power and dust: from 
heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be 
destroyed." Also in Isaiah, ch. lxv., vs. 17-19: — 
"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new 
earth: and the former shall not be remembered, 
nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice 
for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I 
create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my 
people : and the voice of weeping shall be no more 
heard in her, nor the voice of crying." Likewise, 
ch. lxvi., v. 22\ — "For as the new heavens and the 
new earth, which I will make, shall remain before 
me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your 
name remain." 

Concerning the clouds, gloom and desolation, it 
is prophesied in Zephaniah, ch. i., vs. 14, 15: — 
"The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and 
hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the 
Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and 
distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day 
of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and 
thick darkness." And in Joel, ch. ii., v. 10: — "The 
earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall 
tremble : the sun and the moon shall be dark, and 
the stars shall withdraw their shining." And in 
v. 31: — "The sun shall be turned into darkness, 
and the moon into blood, before the great and the 
terrible day of the Lord come." 

Similar signs are also prophesied in the book of 
Haggai, ch. ii., vs. 6, 7: — "For thus saith the Lord 



220 The Third Introduction. 

of hosts; yet once, it is a little while, and I will 
shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and 
the dry land ; And I will shake all nations, and the 
desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this 
house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts." 

It will clearly and manifestly appear to those 
who consider and reflect upon these passages, that 
bv these verses all the prophets meant to explain 
the same fact, and that all of them used these 
words in an allegorical and symbolical manner 
to illustrate the same subject; although these 
prophets were of different languages and ap- 
peared in different countries and times. The es- 
sential cause of this fact is that the Revealer of all 
the Books, the Sender of all the Prophets, and the 
Appointer of all the Messengers, is the One God, 
as explained in the treatise upon "Divine Unity." 
And as He has prophesied the coming of the One 
Great Day of Resurrection, the signs and tokens 
given thereof must be the same. 

Fourth, — Verily, all the Holy Books contain 
texts and clear statements to the effect that the 
above-mentioned signs are closed up and sealed; 
that the door of understanding them is barred 
until the coming of the "end" and the Day of Res- 
urrection; and that whosoever attempts to inter- 
pret them before the coming of that great day, will 
be in error. This fact is referred to in Isaiah, ch. 
vi., vs. 10-12: — "Make the heart of this people fat, 
and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest 
they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, 
and understand with their heart, and convert, and 



The Third Introduction. 221 

be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And 
he answered, Until the cities be wasted without in- 
habitant, and the houses without man, and the land 
be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed 
men far away, and there be a great forsaking in 
the midst of the land." 

Likewise, Daniel, ch. xii., v. 4: — "But thou, O 
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even 
to the time of the end : many shall run to and fro, 
and knowledge shall be increased." vs. 9, 10: — 
"And he said, Go thy way, Daniel : for the words 
are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; 
but the wicked shall do wickedly : and none of the 
wicked shall understand ; but the wise shall under- 
stand." 

All these verses clearly indicate and prove that 
the real sense of the signs given concerning the 
Day of God, the Appearance of the Lord, and the 
coming of the end, was closed up and sealed, so 
that no one could understand them until the com- 
ing of the "end" and the advent of the "Hour." 
Even then, the wicked were not to understand 
them, but only the righteous and just ones should 
apprehend their real meanings. 

In 1888 A. D. (1306 A. H.), when the writer 
travelled from Teheran to Isfahan, and stopped a 
few days in the city of Kashan, there was a meet- 
ing held in the house of a Jewish merchant called 
Lazarus, for the purpose of investigating and con- 
sidering the arguments of the Manifestation and 
the signs of the coming of the day of Resurrection. 



222 The Third Introduction. 

For in those days the promulgation of the Word 
and the spreading of this faith among the Jews 
had just begun. The meeting was composed of 
prominent Jewish rabbis and men of learning. 
Three of their most celebrated doctors were pres- 
ent. The oldest among them was named Morde- 
cai, a man over seventy years of age, of fair com- 
plexion, cheerful face, very learned in Hebrew, 
and quick in scientific debate. When the proofs 
of the Cause of God were discussed in full detail, 
the weakness of Mordecai's doubts were exposed 
and no ground left for his objections and refuta- 
tions. Nevertheless, he clung to the non-fulfill- 
ment of the outward and literal sense of the signs 
and tokens. He said : — "That the appearance of the 
Promised One must necessarily be preceded by the 
darkening of the sun and moon, the falling of 
stars, the dwelling together of the sheep and wolf, 
the calf and the lion, the infant playing with ser- 
pents and asps, and the scattering of the holy 
people in all directions ; whereas not one of these 
signs had appeared, so that the truth of the 
prophets' promises in these texts had not been 
realized." Then we answered him, saying: — "O 
honorable man! Do you alone understand out- 
ward meaning and literal sense from these 
verses, or do all the Jews likewise interpret them 
in the same way?" "Yes"; he replied, "all the 
Jews, both in the East and West, Asiatics as 
well as Europeans, understand these prophecies 
in the same manner, and interpret them as I 
do; therefore they do not give credit to the 



The Third Introduction. 223 

claims of Jesus and Mohammed, nor do they re- 
gard them as being the true Prophets spoken of 
by Moses. For none of these clear signs were 
manifest in Jesus and Mohammed, nor did the pro- 
phetic promises come to pass in their days." We 
answered : — "We have read in the book of Isaiah, 
that God commanded him to seal the hearts of the 
Israelites and shut their eyes, so that they may 
not understand the meaning of the Holy Book. 
He likewise commanded Daniel to seal the Book 
and shut up its meanings. Is this true or not?" 
He said: — "Yes, this is an indisputable fact which 
cannot be doubted." We then said: — "As one 
great prophet was commanded to seal your hearts 
and shut your eyes, so that you might not under- 
stand the Book; and as another great prophet 
was commanded to seal the Book, shut up its 
meanings and veil its purposes from all mankind, 
— in such a case how can a discerning man rely 
upon your comprehension and interpretation of 
the Book, and put his trust in your explanations 
and elucidations? For if your interpretations of 
the Holy Books be regarded as reliable and your 
understanding of the texts as true, then the seal- 
ing of hearts and shutting up of the Book would 
not be fulfilled." Mordecai was silenced and un- 
able to answer, while the believers rejoiced. 

The Holy Gospels also contain numerous verses 
and evidences of the sealing of the texts, the diffi- 
culty of understanding them, and the intricacy of 
their meanings. Even the disciples of Christ, 
who were the chosen of God and His saints, fre- 



224 The Third Introduction. 

quently did not understand the meanings of words, 
and asked Christ to solve their mysteries. For 
He mostly spoke to them in symbols and allego- 
ries, and taught them through parables, as is said 
by St. Matt, ch. xiii., vs. 34, 35: — "All these things 
spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and 
without a parable spake he not unto them: That 
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the 
prophet, saying, I will utter things which have 
been kept secret from the foundation of the 
world." 

It is evident to intelligent minds that the com- 
mands, exhortations, ordinances and regulations 
revealed in the Holy Books, are not concealed mat- 
ters and have not sealed meanings; therefore 
Christ did not explain them in parables and sym- 
bols, or cover them under the veils of allegories 
and allusions. Verily, the prophets revealed com- 
mands and ordinances in a clear manner, without 
concealment and obscurity, so that the laws of 
devotion and conduct may thereby be secured 
among men, and human society sustained 
throughout all centuries and cycles. But by the 
"things which have been kept secret from the 
foundation of the world," is meant the mysteries 
of the "day of Judgment" and "Resurrection," the 
"darkening of the sun and moon," the "falling of 
stars," the "coming of the Lord in the Clouds," 
the "rising of the dead from the earth," the illumi- 
nation of the earth from the "east to the west" 
with the light of the Lord of Lords, and other 
great signs revealed in the Book; the purpose and 



The Third Introduction. 225 

meaning of which have been ever obscure and 
sealed to the students and seekers. 

But our Lord Christ (Glory and Beha be upon 
Him!) promised that these seals should be opened 
and these prophecies understood at the time of the 
Lord's coming from Heaven, Who would then ex- 
plain their reality. St. John, ch. xvi., vs. 12, 13: 
— "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye 
cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the 
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all 
truth." Likewise, St. John, ch. vi., v. 27: — "La- 
bor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that 
meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which 
the Son of man shall give unto you: for *it hath 
God the Father sealed." 

It is clear to every one endowed with percep- 
tion that the source of everlasting life is no other 
than the Words of God; as is said by Christ in 
answer to the tempter; St. Matt., ch. iv., v. 4: — 
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." 

As God the Almighty has sealed His Words, 
which are the source of salvation and the origin of 
life, it is therefore not possible for any one to un- 
seal them, except Himself. Thus revelation has 
been assigned to Prophets, and the interpretation 
and unveiling of the Words given to the Exalted 
Lord at the time of His coming from Heaven to 
remove the covering from all things. 

•This pronoun refers to the "meat" in the Arabic Bible, from which 
the author has quoted the verse. But the English version refers it to 
the "Son of Man" and gives a masculine pronoun ("him") instead of 

"it." The rendering here is according to the Arabic text quoted by the 

author. — Translator. 



326 The Third Introduction. 

The verses of the Koran also clearly indicate 
that the interpretation of the Words of God will 
be effected at His coming and at its appointed and 
determined time; Ch. Al-A'raf: — "And now we 
have brought unto them a book: we have ex- 
plained it with knowledge ; a direction and mercy 
unto people who shall believe. Do they wait for 
any other than the interpretation thereof ? On the 
day whereon the interpretation thereof shall come, 
they who had forgotten the same before, shall say, 
'Now the Messengers of our Lord came unto us 
with truth' : shall we therefore have any interces- 
sors, who will intercede for us? Or shall we be 
sent back, that we may do other works than what 
we did? But now have they found themselves in 
loss : and that which they impiously imagined 
hath fled from them." Likewise, in the Chapter 
of "Jonas," he said : — "But they have charged that 
with falsehood, the knowledge whereof they do 
not comprehend, neither hath the interpretation 
thereof come unto them." 

The prominent men among the tribe of Koraish 
and the Arab chiefs disbelieved in the possibility of 
the fulfillment of such signs. They said "Moham- 
med deludes his followers, infatuates his compan- 
ions, and gives them promises and hopes of things 
which cannot be realized or even imagined to 
occur." Therefore the above-mentioned verse was 
revealed, clearly indicating that they had mean- 
ings and interpretations, which God will surely 
manifest in an appointed day, when the Manifesta- 
tion of the Self-subsistent Lord will unveil their 



The Third Introduction. **7 

truth and open their seals. By interpretation is 
meant bringing to light the esoteric meanings ex- 
pressed in symbolical words; which meanings re- 
mained concealed and hidden during cycles and 
generations, and were not understood even by the 
loftiest minds, until the time when God permitted 
the removal of their veils and the opening of their 
seals. Then the doors of their paradise opened, 
the fragrances of their signs were diffused, and 
rilled all the regions of the world with their sweet 
perfumes. Then the rose-petals of truth were 
scattered upon their breezes, and the nostrils of 
the righteous were perfumed with their sweet 
odor. Then the truths of the Holy Books be- 
came manifest to the possessors of quickened 
hearts and calm souls, which fact will appear from 
the interpretation which will be given to the men 
of brilliant insight and sound minds. 



The Fourth Introduction. 

Treats of Comparing the Four Proofs with the 
Manifestations of the Command of God. 
O ye righteous ones! Now that ye have under- 
stood the reality of the four arguments, the qual- 
ity of their evidence and indication of the truth of 
the Manifestations of the Command of God, 
know (may God illumine your beautiful faces with 
His manifest and clear Light, and strengthen your 
exalted words with the signs of prosperity and 
success!) that, verily, these proofs and arguments 
confirm the truth of the Manifestation of God in 
this present time much more clearly and evidently 
than they demonstrated the truth of the Manifes- 
tations in bygone ages and past generations. As 
heretofore we have discussed the substance of 
these arguments, their limits, definition, and the 
validity of their evidence in a general way, we now 
speak of their specific relationship with each one 
of the Manifestations of God, so that it may be 
proven and become apparent that these arguments 
are weighty and complete in this Most Great Man- 
ifestation and glorious exalted Dawn. For these 
arguments demonstrate the Manifestation of our 
Lord Beha (Exalted is His Name !) more abun- 
dantly than they prove the mission of the prophets 
previous to Him. Therefore, whosoever denies 
this great Manifestation and rejects His clear 
proofs, cannot demonstrate the truth of any one of 

228 



The Fourth Introduction. 22 9 

the former religions ; as will be conclusively shown 
in the following demonstrations. 

Consider (may God the Exalted assist you with 
His Spirit!) the mission of His Holiness Moses 
(Peace be upon Him !). 

In view of the four proofs already described and 
explained, let us ascertain by what argument the 
Israelites can demonstrate the truth of His religion. 

As to the Book, which we have regarded as 
being the most complete proof and the greatest 
argument: The only part of the Book which can be 
attributed to Moses is the Taurat or Pentateuch 
of the Old Testament. To be more critically ac- 
curate, the only part of the Pentateuch which can 
be directly attributed to Moses, — as, God willing, 
will be explained, — is the Law of the Ten Com- 
mandments, revealed in the 5th chapter of 
Deut, and the Song and Blessings recorded in 
Deut., chs. xxxii., xxxiii. The rest of the Penta- 
teuch contains laws and ordinances written and en- 
acted by Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of 
Moses. This was added to the Taurat, as is evident 
in the 25th and 26th verses of the 24th chapter of 
the Book of Joshua. As to the histories and leg- 
ends: these were written and compiled by Ezra the 
priest, after the emigration from Babylon and the 
return of the tribes to Palestine, subsequent to the 
second restoration of Jerusalem under Artaxerxes 
of Persia; which fact is manifest after a careful in- 
vestigation of ancient history. 

As to the Logical Proof, that is the heavenly 
Power bestowed upon the Manifestations of the 



230 The Fourth Introduction. 

Command of God for the purpose of instituting 
laws and reforming the morals of humanity; its 
extent appears from the comparative effect which 
their words make in the guidance of peoples, while 
at the same time it is connected with the capacity 
of men to accept this guidance. It is an evident 
fact that the prophetic word, during the Manifesta- 
tion of Moses, was effective only in guiding one 
nation, that is, the Israelites, the former inhabit- 
ants of Palestine; for during 1,500 years the 
Word of Moses and the Israelitish prophets influ- 
enced but this one nation. No result appeared 
from it among other peoples and countries. 

As to the prophecies: No book of the prophets 
Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, who lived previous to 
Moses, exists; nor is Moses' name spoken of or 
alluded to in the books of the founders of the 
other religions, such as the Buddhists, Brahamans, 
Zoroastrians, or Sabeans. Therefore, no proph- 
ecy exists which can prove the Mosaic Religion. 
There is but one passage from Enoch, the 7th 
from Adam, whom some of the prominent histo- 
rians have supposed to be "Edris," spoken of in 
the Arabic books. This passage is recorded in 
the Epistle of St. Jude. It refers to and clearly 
indicates the Manifestation of God, or that of the 
Lord with "ten thousands of His Saints." This 
prophecy has no connection with the Manifesta- 
tion of Moses, nor with any other prophetic Mis- 
sion. 

As to the Miracles : The only source from which 
it could be proven that miracles have proceeded 



The Fourth Introduction. 231 

from Moses, is the record of the Five Books, or 
the testimony given by those who came after him, 
such as our Lord Christ (Glory be upon Him!) 
and Mohammed. As the Jews have denied the 
truth of these two Manifestations, there is nothing 
more difficult for them than to prove the Miracles 
of Moses to the Buddhists and Brahamans, as well 
as to the other great nations. The only authority 
for the miracles of Moses are the writings of one 
man, Ezra the priest, and this is a very weak au- 
thority; as is evident to the men of insight and 
discernment. 

Now, consider (may God the Exalted assist you 
through the Power of His Kingdom!) the Cause 
of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him !), the proofs 
and arguments which demonstrate the truth of 
His Blessed Word and the validity of His Holy 
Mission. 

As to the Divine Book: The Holy Gospels 
alone contain teachings which can be regarded as 
the true Words of God; and these teachings do 
not exceed the contents of a few pages. The rest 
of the Gospels consist of the traditions and records 
written and inscribed by His disciples or the dis- 
ciples of His disciples, concerning His life and 
circumstances. Moreover, His teachings are not 
preserved in their original language, which was 
the dialect of the people who inhabited the Syrian 
countries at that time; nor were they written in 
His own days. But they were written and re- 
corded after His Ascension to the Heaven of the 
Nearness of God, at periods variously estimated by 



2 3 2 The Fourth Introduction. 

the European historians as between forty and 
seventy years subsequent to His birth. They 
have been translated into Latin and Greek later. 

As to the Miracles and Signs which have pro- 
ceeded from Him: "The authority for these is the 
four Gospels. They have been narrated therein 
by four men; two were His apostles and the 
other two disciples of their disciples. Moreover, 
many of their texts contain certain allegories and 
symbolisms which very often bear other than lit- 
eral meanings. Consider the 9th ch. of the Gos- 
pel of St. John, where it is recorded that Christ 
(Glory be upon Him !) restored the blind man, and 
on account of this there was a division among 
the Pharisees. It is also recorded in the 39th verse 
of the said chapter: — "And Jesus said, For judg- 
ment I am come into this world, that they which 
see not might see ; and that they which see might 
be made blind." This verse clearly shows that by 
blindness He has meant ignorance and error, and 
by sight, knowledge and guidance. This meaning 
is explicitly proven by the next verses, thus: — 
"And some of the Pharisees which were with him 
heard these words, and said unto him, Are we 
blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, 
ye should have no sin; but now ye say, We see; 
therefore your sin remaineth.' , 

Consequently, how can it be understood that 
the sight given to the blind man, as recorded in 
the first part of this chapter, was not of this kind ? 
Especially is this true when we consider the cus- 
toms of the Jewish writers in those olden times. 



The Fourth Introduction. 233 

They made use of enigmas and allegories in their 
books and writings, and concealed their meanings 
under subtle and intricate symbols. It is said by 
the learned historian, John Lawrence Mosheim, 
of the University of Gottingen, in his "Ecclesias- 
tical History," translated from the original Latin 
by James Murdoch, of the U. S.; also translated 
into Arabic by Henry H. Jessep, of U. S., and pub- 
lished in 1875 A. D. in Beyrouth (Syria) ; as fol- 
lows : — 

Part II., Ch. 3, Cent. 1, Par. 2: — "Those who ex- 
pounded the Scriptures, studied simplicity and 
plainness. Yet it is not to be denied, that even in 
this century, the perverse Jewish custom of ob- 
scuring the plain language of Scripture, by forced 
and frigid allegories, and of diverting words from 
their natural and proper meaning in order to ex- 
tort from them some recondite sense, found some 
admirers and imitators among Christians. Be- 
sides others, Barnabas, whose epistle is still ex- 
tant, is proof of them." 

If one ponders over the detail of what we have 
said upon the question of Miracles; studies our 
arguments to the effect that God the Exalted has 
refused to perform things in any other manner 
than in accordance with natural laws ; and reflects 
upon what the distinguished and learned Mosheim 
has recorded as to the Jewish custom of using ob- 
scure and symbolic allegories, there can be no 
doubt that the records of giving sight to the blind 
and quickening the dead, refer to mental insight 
and spiritual life. For the same meanings are 



234 The Fourth Introduction. 

applied to them in many places in the very texts 
of the Heavenly Books and Prophetic Words. 

As to the Logical Proof: That is the power of the 
penetration of His Word and the sway of His Re- 
ligion. This power in Christ so far surpassed the 
penetrative power of the Word of Moses, that 
there is no ground for a just investigator who does 
not indulge in false arguments to doubt that it 
was the Divine Word and of a Spiritual authority. 
That His Holy Word proved effective in numerous 
nations, and was conducive to the guidance of 
great peoples, is a fact that can only be denied by 
an arrogant and ignorant person or by a disput- 
ing sophist. Yet centuries and generations 
passed before it proved effective through the as- 
sistance of the Roman Caesars. Then it poured 
forth with a power the like of which had never 
before appeared in any of the other Divine Re- 
ligions. Consequently, many of the prominent 
historians have even doubted the very existence 
of Christ (Glory be upon Him!). There are al- 
ways many who have the same tendency, for 
nothing about Him and His Religion is recorded 
in any of the histories written in the first and sec- 
ond centuries after Him, by either Romans, Jews, 
Persians, Indians, or Chinese. This is a clear 
proof of the fact that His Cause had not played 
any important role in the first two centuries, nor 
had it been so widely spread as to be recorded by 
the historians. 

Mosheim has written in his "History of the 
Church" (Part L, Ch. 2, Cent. 13, Pars. 2 and 3), 
as follows : — 



The Fourth Introduction. 235 

"The Latin writers of those times (thirteenth 
cent.), often complain of public enemies of the 
Christian religion, and even of mockers of the Su- 
preme Being. Nor are these complaints entirely 
vain and incredible. For men of discernment who 
critically inspected the religion which the Roman 
pontiffs and their servants and friends preached 
and inculcated as being the only true religion 
taught by Christ; and which they maintained by 
fire and the sword, might easily be led to believe, 
that Christianity was a fabrication invented and 
propagated by the priests for their own advan- 
tage; and especially was such a conclusion easy, 
as there were none to teach them better. Be- 
sides, the Aristotelian philosophy, which reigned 
in all the schools of Europe and was regarded as 
sound reason, led not a few to discard the doc- 
trines commonly held and preached respecting di- 
vine providence, the immortality of the Soul, the 
Creation of the World, and other points, and thus 
to become the promoters of irreligion. 

"At the head of all the enemies of Christianity, 
stood the emperor Frederic II., if credit is to be 
given to the sovereign pontiff Gregory IX., who 
in the year 1239, charged him before all the kings 
and princes of Europe, with saying that the whole 
world had been deceived by three barrators, (im- 
postors), Jesus Christ, Moses, and Mohammed. 
This heavy charge the emperor deemed it neces- 
sary to refute, by a public profession of his re- 
ligious faith. It rested on the testimony of some 
German princes, and particularly of Henry Raspo, 



*3$ The Fourth Introduction. 

landgrave of Thuringia, who said they had heard 
Frederic utter such language. Perhaps some- 
thing like this did fall from the lips of Frederic, 
when in a violent passion, for he was not infre- 
quently imprudent ; and among the many learned 
men that attended him, there were some from the 
Aristotelian school who might have suggested to 
him such impious thoughts. Hence a fabulous 
story was handed down to posterity, respecting a 
detestable book on the three impostors, which was 
said to have been written either by the emperor 
himself, or by Peter de Vincis, a native of Capua 
and a man of great credit and influence, who was 
the emperor's prime minister." 

These statements of this historian who, far from 
being accused of unorthodoxy, was firm and 
staunch in Christianity, clearly indicate that the 
antagonists of Christianity had not discovered any 
mentioning of Christ's name; otherwise they 
would not have denied Him, but would have re- 
futed the teachings given by the Roman pontiffs. 
Indeed, many of the people of deception and false- 
hood among those who did not recognize the 
power of the Divine Word and its independence 
from human intrigues, have introduced His Name 
into the old historical works, so that they might 
thereby withstand the opposers, and defend the 
prophets and messengers. Yet this has been 
more harmful to Christianity than profitable, as 
they had intended it to be ; for their intrigues and 
machinations were divulged, thus increasing the 
suspicions of the deniers. This is the case with 



The Fourth Introduction. 237 

the translation of the book of Josephus, the Jew, 
made from the European languages into Arabic. 
Into this translation they have introduced the 
Name of Christ; at the same time suggesting to 
some of the writers of scientific newspapers pub- 
lished in Cairo, Egypt, to insert in them that the 
book Josephus is not possessed by Jews. Thus 
they intended to conceal their artifice and ruse. 
All this, notwithstanding the fact that many manu- 
script copies of Josephus are in possession of the 
Jews, and that we have investigated and discussed 
it in the city of Hamadan, Persia. Even in the 
original copies on file in public libraries in Europe, 
no reference is made to the name of Christ. Dr. 
Keith, of England, has clearly explained this point, 
in his work upon the testimonies given by the Is- 
raelitish prophets, demonstrating the Mission of 
our Lord Jesus Christ (Glory be to Him!). 
Therein he says that Josephus has done his utmost 
to make no mention of the name of Christ in his 
book. This book has been translated from the 
English into Persian by the Abbots of the Church, 
in the City of Ormiah, Azerbeyjan, Persia, and 
published in Edinburgh in 1846. 

To resume. Those who are heedless of the 
power of the Word of God, have artfully interpo- 
lated the name of Christ into the old histories, sup- 
posing this to be profitable to pure Christianity. 
Yet by this, they have done Christianity a mischief 
which no one denies except the ignorant ; for the 
exposure of their artifice caused numerous di- 
visions and parties to appear among Christians, 



238 The Fourth Introduction. 

who were thus led not only to deny this Divine 
Religion, but the very existence of Christ (Peace 
be upon Him!). The proof of the existence of 
Christ, is in no need of such intrigues, or of the 
testimony of historians. His blessed existence is 
confirmed by two great evidences: — First, that 
which the Manifestations of the Command of God 
give of His existence and truth, which testimony 
is no other than that of God, and is more effective 
than anything in the world. Consider the evi- 
dence given by Mohammed as to Christ being 
the "Spirit of God." Mohammed's word has to 
such an extent convinced the world and satisfied 
nations, that about three hundred millions of Mus- 
sulmans testify that Jesus is the "Spirit of God," 
and that He is the "Word of God." This witness, 
given by Mohammed, they engrave in their hearts 
and preserve it from generation to generation; 
whereas, before the appearance of Mohammed, 
they did not know Christ, nor did they acknowl- 
edge His truth. 

Verily, all the people of the world will be hum- 
bled before the Name of our Lord Christ, and will 
shortly testify that He is the exalted Word; inas- 
much as our Lord the Abha (Glorified is His 
Supreme Name!) has borne witness of Him. St. 
John has recorded in his Gospel, in reference to 
this point (ch. viii., v. 18), thus: — "I am one that 
bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent 
me beareth witness of me." 

The witness borne by the Father is that which 
is borne by the Lord Beha, because the idea that 



The Fourth Introduction. 239 

testimony is given by the Essence in any way ex- 
cept through Its Manifestations, is unreasonable, 
as we have already explained and demonstrated in 
the subject of Divine Unity. 

Now that the testimony of two Manifestations 
of God, relative to the existence of our Lord Christ, 
has convinced half the population of the earth as 
to the truth of His Word and the validity of His 
Claim, of what importance can be the testimony 
of a few historians, whether they acknowledge or 
deny Him? 

The second evidence is that an effect can be ad- 
duced as the proof of a cause; and this is a rational 
and visible evidence. There is no doubt that the 
Christian Religion, which has changed the condi- 
tions of the old world, is an effect, and every effect 
must, of necessity, have a cause and origin. No 
man or body of men has ever claimed to be the 
originator of this religion, nor has its institution 
ever been attributed to any one except Jesus Christ 
(Glory be to Him!). Consequently, it is obvious 
that He has been its only founder and sole up- 
holder. When a wise man reflects upon the origin 
of this invincible Power which has surpassed the 
powers of the World; when he considers the super- 
natural ken and judgment which have reformed the 
defects of nations, healed the sicknesses of hearts, 
and reconciled tribes of peoples, it would be un- 
reasonable for him to think that this origin could 
be veiled and obscure, or wrapped up in the cob- 
webs of oblivion and negligence. If man permits 
himself to doubt such a clear matter, how much 



24° The Fourth Introduction. 

more would he be apt to dispute all subjects? 
Such scepticism would confuse the order of so- 
ciety, and would corroborate sophistical theories. 

Having treated of these subjects which needed 
explanation, we will now return to the point which 
we were discussing, in connection with the proofs 
whereby the truth of the Mission of Christ can be 
demonstrated. 

As to the prophecies revealed in the Holy Books, 
contained in the Old Testament: when we observe 
the essential Oneness existing among the Mani- 
festations of the Command of God, which we have 
demonstrated in speaking of the Divine Unity, 
there is no doubt that most of these prophecies, 
testified of and were fulfilled in the appearance of 
our Lord Christ; which fact was confirmed by 
those who appeared after Him. But when we con- 
sider the individual characteristics of these holy 
Manifestations; personal qualities which differen- 
tiate and distinguish each one of them from the 
other, there is no doubt that many prophecies were 
not fulfilled in Christ's first coming. This will be 
explained in the commentaries upon the texts of 
the Scriptures, with the assistance of God the Lord 
of Lords. 

A fact which must not pass unnoticed by the 
possessors of insight, is that the commentators of 
the Holy Books have unanimously endeavored to 
interpret all the prophecies recorded in the Old 
Testament and the writings of the Israelitish 
prophets, into the Manifestation of our Lord 
Christ. In this endeavor they have mainly exerted 



The Fourth Introduction. 241 

themselves and spent their lives and property; 
strenuously attempting to demonstrate to the 
seekers, that the purpose of these prophecies is 
none other than showing forth the events of the 
day of His Manifestation and Mission, and describ- 
ing His sufferings and trials. Some have re-en- 
forced this point by artifice, some by violence. 
Others, finding themselves unable to convince 
people by argument, have tried to coerce them by 
the power of the sword and fire; a fact testified to 
by the histories of every country. Moreover, it 
has been customary with most of the theologians 
and commentators of the Holy Books, to satisfy the 
people and prove their religious tenets by a method 
of argument called "economical"; no matter 
whether it agreed with truth and fact or not. 
With them, the only purpose has been to overcome 
antagonists, relying upon their customary principle, 
— "The end justifies the means." Absolutism and 
the lack of freedom which then prevailed among 
nations, assisted them in fulfilling their aims and 
rendering their beliefs prevalent. So arose false, 
inverted, remote and insignificant interpretations 
of the Holy Books. To this point, Mosheim refers 
in his "History of the Church" (Part II., Cent. 3, 
Ch.3,Pars. 10, 11): — "But it must by no means pass 
unnoticed, that the discussions instituted against 
the opposers of Christianity in this age (3rd cent.), 
departed far from the primitive simplicity, and the 
correct method of controversy. For the Christian 
doctors, who were in part educated in the schools 
of rhetoricians and sophists, inconsiderately trans- 



242 The Fourth Introduction. 

ferred the arts of these teachers to the Cause of 
Christianity; and therefore considered it of no im- 
portance, whether an antagonist were confounded 
by these artifices, or by solid arguments. Thus 
that mode of disputing, which the ancients called 
economical, [It signifies to do a thing artfully and 
dexterously, or with cunning and sagacity, as a 
shrewd manager of a household controls those 
under him — see footnote given by Murdock], and 
which had victory rather than truth for its object, 
was almost universally approved. And the Platon- 
ists contributed to the currency of the practice, by 
asserting that it was no sin for a person to employ 
falsehood and fallacies for the support of truth, 
when it was in danger of being borne down." 

"This vicious inclination to circumvent and con- 
found an adversary, rather than confute him with 
sound argument, produced also a multitude of 
books falsely bearing on their front the names of 
certain distinguished men. For the greater part 
of mankind, being influenced more by the author- 
ity of names, than by arguments and Scripture 
testimony, the writers conceived they must prefix 
names of the greatest weight to their books, in 
order to oppose successfully their adversaries. 
Hence those canons which were falsely ascribed to 
the apostles: . . . ." 

Of these canons, Murdock speaks in the foot- 
note, thus: — "(The apostolic canons are eighty-five 
ecclesiastical laws or rules, professedly enacted by 
the Apostles, and collected and preserved by 
Clemens Romanus. The matter of them is an- 



The Fourth Introduction. 243 

cient; for they describe the customs and institu- 
tions of the Christians, particularly of the Greek 
and Oriental churches, in the second and third 
centuries. But the phraseology indicates a com- 
piler being in the third century. See W. Beve- 
ridge's Notes on these Canons, and his 'Codex 
Canonum Eccles., Primitivae Vindicatus et Illus- 
trat,' London, 1678, 4to — Schl.)." 

Likewise, Mosheim has recorded in the events of 
the fourth century (Book II., Part I., Par. 23): — 
"For it is manifest that the untiring zeal of the bish- 
ops and other holy men, the pure and devout lives 
which many of the Christians exhibited, the transla- 
tions of the sacred Volume, and the excellence of 
the Christian religion, were as efficient motives 
with many persons, as the arguments from worldly 
advantage and disadvantage were with some 
others. As for miracles, I cheerfully unite with 
those who look with contempt on the wonders 
ascribed to Paul, Antony, and Martin. I also grant, 
that many events were inconsiderably regarded as 
miracles, which were according to the laws of na- 
ture ; not to mention likewise pious frauds." 

There are many similar statements in this book 
and in other credible historical works, all of which 
clearly indicate that the writers of the early cen- 
turies, who are considered more brilliant and pure 
than those of the later centuries, and whose works 
became the foundation and ground-work upon 
which the beliefs and writings of recent centuries 
are based, cared more to triumph over and dis- 
comfit their antagonists than to rely upon truth 



244 The Fourth Introduction. 

and explain the real fact. They were more anxious 
to satisfy the Jews and compel them to accept their 
commentaries, than to convince the Pagans; for 
the former were the root of the tree of Christianity, 
and the source throueh which the Holy Scriptures 
had been revealed. They did their utmost, and 
availed themselves of every possible strategy and 
means, in order to persuade that intelligent and 
unfortunate people that the purpose of all the 
prophecies given in the Holy Scriptures concerning 
the coming of the "Lord," referred to the Mani- 
festation of Jesus Christ; and that all prophecy pre- 
dicted the events of His days, and foreshadowed 
His sufferings and afflictions. Yet their diligence 
in interpretation and fabrication, and their zealous 
attempts to demonstrate this fulfillment, far from 
bringing the Jews nearer to Christ, withheld them 
from believing in Him. For the Jews who read 
the Book every day with perfect attention, consult- 
ing and depending upon it in all their affairs, were 
cognizant of the purport of the prophecies, and 
knew the falsity of such economical (forcible) argu- 
ment. They were eye witnesses to the fact that 
the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures, especially 
those which foreshadowed the end of their nation, 
did not conform nor correspond to the Manifesta- 
tion of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!), al- 
though the Christian commentators insisted upon 
their correspondence, by availing themselves of this 
"economical" mode or argument, to maintain it. 
Verily, the prophecies of these Holy Books, — for 
the preservation of which the Jews shed their 



The Fourth Introduction. 245 

blood, sacrificed their property and children, and 
upon which alone they rested their hopes, — pro- 
claim with the clearest voice that after the decline 
of the dominion of the Israelites; after their scatter- 
ing and dispersion throughout all countries; their 
suffering every calamity; their being cursed and 
reviled by all nations; after their country being pos- 
sessed by foreigners and trampled under the feet 
of barbarous tribes; their cities and towns deserted 
and ruined; — then the powerful Lord will appear, 
His shining Beauty will dawn forth from the East, 
and become manifest in the Holy Land. His voice 
will be raised from the holy mountain; He will 
assemble the scattered Israelites from the east, 
west, north and south; He will gather them from 
out all peoples. Then, according to these prophe- 
cies, they will proceed from darkness toward light, 
their sorrow will be changed into joy, their un- 
belief into real faith, their rebellion into obedience, 
their shame into honor, and their weakness into 
power. They will become blessed after having 
been execrated, victorious after having been sub- 
dued; the glory of the Holy Land will be restored, 
and distant nations will be blessed thereby. The 
mouth of the Promised Lord will change its name 
of the Holy Land, and the blessed and excellent 
"Branch" will build His Temple. It will be named 
"Desire" after its having been rejected; it will be 
sought for after having been deserted. Its lost 
honor will be eternally established and its peoples 
will be firmly planted therein. All the prophesied 
events will happen at their appointed time, which 



246 The Fourth Introduction. 

is determined in the Book, and known to men of 
discernment. Superstitions will not change them, 
nor will the alterations of the transposers and the 
doubts of the sceptical shake them. These pre- 
dicted events were reversed at the appearance of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. At that time, the Israelites 
were established and tranquil in the Holy Land, 
but after the Appearance of Christ, they were scat- 
tered by the conquest of Titus the Roman, who 
destroyed Jerusalem and slew over one million of 
the Jews, according to historical record. After- 
ward, he sold the remnant of them to the nations, 
as beasts of burden. Their humiliation and misery 
still increased when Omar, the Mohammedan Kalif, 
vanquished the city of Elias (Jerusalem), and made 
a compact with Saphronius, Bishop of Jerusalem, 
forbidding the Jews to inhabit Palestine. With 
this decree and compact he destroyed their daily 
sacrifice; the Holy Land fell into the hands of 
foreigners and became the arena of murder and 
field of conflict between the Arabs, Romans, Turks, 
Crusaders and Mamelukes. The Jewish cities were 
ruined, their buildings overthrown, their dwellings 
desolated, their societies scattered; and during 
these long generations, this forlorn people became 
the plaything of storms of calamities, the subject 
of whirlpools of afflictions, until the nineteenth 
century. This was the century of the Dawn of the 
Light of lights, the time of the rending of veils, and 
the rise of the Sun of Knowledge in the brightness 
of day. Then these ruinous. storms and fatal con- 
vulsions were partly hushed; the Holy Land at- 



The Fourth Introduction. 247 

tained tranquility and quietude, and is still ad- 
vancing therein, until that which was foreshad- 
owed by the prophets in bygone centuries and 
ages, shall be fulfilled in it. 

The Holy Land was flourishing and was inhab- 
ited by the Jews before Christ appeared; but after 
His Manifestation, they became scattered, and 
none of the prophecies of which we have spoken 
were fulfilled at His advent. Thus, Christ cannot 
be accounted as the fulfillment of those prophecies. 

The commentators have devised a way to close 
this breach, and to bridge over this chasm, which 
cannot be effected by any artifice. They have in- 
terpreted the word "Israelite," recorded in the 
Holy Scriptures, to mean the "Christian Church," 
in order to demonstrate that the prophecies were 
fulfilled with the appearance of Jesus Christ (Glory 
be to Him !), and were realized in His Advent. Al- 
though we agree with this interpretation in some 
passages, yet most of the prophecies of the Holy 
Scriptures clearly indicate that they refer to the 
children of Israel, and not to the believers who 
might join them through the Spirit of Faith. They 
announce that the Israelites whom God had 
stricken with curse and degradation, are to return 
to blessing and restoration, as is plainly spoken of 
by Paul the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans, 
ch. xi., vs. 25 to 27: — "For I would not, brethren, 
that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye 
should be wise in your own conceits; that blind- 
ness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness 
of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall 



248 The Fourth Introduction. 

be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of 
Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodli- 
ness from Jacob. For this is my Covenant unto 
them, when I shall take away their sins." 

This text clearly shows that the Israelites will 
be saved and their sins taken away after the Mani- 
festation of Christ; at the end of the days, when 
the Manifestation of the Lord will appear in Sion. 
Therefore how could the commentators interpret 
"children of Israel" as being the Christian Church? 

In a similar way, they interpret the term "New 
Testament" to be the "Holy Gospels." The word 
"New Testament" (or Covenant) is recorded in 
Jeremiah, ch. xxxi., vs. 31 to 34, as follows: — "Be- 
hold, the days come, said the Lord, that I will make 
a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and with 
the house of Judah. Not according to the Cove- 
nant that I made with their fathers in the day that 
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the 
land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, 
although I was an husband unto them, saith the 
Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will 
make with the house of Israel. After those days, 
says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward 
parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their 
Lord, and they shall be my people. And they shall 
teach no more every man his neighbour, and every 
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they 
shall all know me from the least of them unto the 
greatest of them, saith the Lord. For I will for- 
give their iniquity, and I will remember their sin 
no more." 



The Fourth Introduction. 249 

Have the prophecies given in these verses been 
fulfilled? Did the Lord forgive their iniquity and 
sins? Were they ever without need of a teacher 
or adviser to exhort and lead them to believe in 
their Lord; so that the Holy Gospels might be- 
come the "New Testament" (or Covenant)? Who- 
soever reads these verses with earnest attention, 
will duly realize that the prophecies in this chap- 
ter refer to the Israelites themselves, and not to 
those who have joined them by faith. For the 
Israelites, termed in Scripture, "the back-sliding 
daughters," are the children of Ephraim,the capital 
of whose country was Samaria, and the children of 
Judah, the capital of whose country was Jerusalem. 

It is also reported in the Book of Jeremiah, ch. 
xxxi., vs. 2j, 28: — "Behold, the days come, saith 
the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the 
house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the 
seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that like 
as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to 
break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, 
and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, 
and to plant, saith the Lord." Does the sense of 
these prophecies refer to the Christian Church? 

Moreover, the prophesied restoration of the 
Holy Land is an everlasting restoration which will 
never be overthrown; a permanent holiness which 
will never be effaced; for it is clearly stated at the 
end of the chapter, that "It shall not be plucked 
up, nor thrown down any more forever." After 
the ascension of our Lord Christ (Glory be upon 
Him!), the Holy Land was destroyed twice; the 



2 S° The Fourth Introduction. 

first time, by the command of Titus and Adrian. 
Afterward, the Israelitish people were scattered, 
and the desolation of the Holy Land and the dis- 
persion of its people were completed by the con- 
quest of Islam, at which time the daily sacrifice 
was taken away, as we have formerly explained. 
As these facts were evident to the Jews, the ex- 
planations and interpretations made by the Chris- 
tians, did not satisfy them. Nay rather, such 
methods kept them farther from the truth. So 
they denied Christ and refused to investigate and 
enquire into His Cause. The delegates of the great 
pontiffs during every century, attempted to com- 
pel the Israelites to accept these interpretations, 
and join the sacred Church. As they could not 
satisfy them through the power of argument, they 
laboured to convince them by the power of the 
sword and rigid persecution. 

Mosheim has recorded in his "History of the 
Church, Part I., Cent, vi., Ch. i., Par. 3, thus: — 
"But it should be added, that far more were (the 
Jews) induced to make profession of Christianity, 
by the rewards offered by the princes and by the 
fear of punishment, than by the force of arguments. 
In Gaul during the reign of Childeric, the Jews 
were compelled to receive baptism: and the same 
thing was done in Spain." 

To resume. As on one hand, the Jews saw these 
confusing interpretations, and on the other, false 
arguments and rigid punishments, they doubted 
not that these oppressions were taught by Christ. 
So, bewildered and led astray in the desert of re- 



The Fourth Introduction. 25 1 

moteness and error, they clung to their own ideas, 
until finally the warnings and prophecies of the 
prophets became fulfilled in them. Although they 
deserved punishment for their denial of Christ and 
objection to the chastity of the Virgin Mary, by 
which their adversity and shame before God were 
increased; yet the greater part of their sin in re- 
maining unbelievers, is due to the aforementioned 
commentators, sophists and persecutors, who alien- 
ated the Jews from the truth, and obscured the 
path unto them. Had the commentators inter- 
preted the verses according to their true purpose 
and demonstrated the truth of the Word of our 
Lord Christ in the right manner, they would have 
made it easy for the Jews to embrace the Truth, 
and would have brought them nearer to the high- 
way of obedience. For there are proofs and verses 
in the very texts of the Bible and in the prophetic 
Books, which clearly explain the truth of our Lord 
Christ; and had the commentators held to them, 
they would have been in no need of false argument 
and persecution. God willing, we will explain this 
point in the course of our interpretations regarding 
the subject. 

Now consider, O ye beloved ones, the Moham- 
medan cause, and the proofs whereby its adherents 
endeavor to prove the truth of Mohammed. 

As to the Heavenly Book and Divine Revela- 
tion: This they hold to be the Koran. Its texts were 
written in the days of Mohammed, and collected 
and arranged in the days of His khalifs by congre- 
gations composed of His chief followers and saints. 



25 2 The Fourth Introduction. 

The Moslems, notwithstanding their variance and 
difference of sects and creeds, have universally 
agreed upon one book, even without entertaining 
any disagreement or difference as to one word or 
letter in it. Yet it is but one volume, containing 
thirty sections, the texts of which, they maintain, 
were revealed gradually to Mohammed at different 
times, during twenty-three years. Mohammed 
was of the tribe of Koraish, a tribe noted for elo- 
quence and speech among the Arabs. Even the 
majority of the Mohammedan doctors have re- 
garded the eloquent language and elegant style of 
the Koran, as a perfect proof and decisive miracle. 
But we have refuted this point in several books, 
and have explained the reason why heavenly Reve- 
lations are miraculous, showing the manner where- 
by they are distinguished from the words of man ; 
in a way that should convince every one of discern- 
ment and perception. 

As to the penetration of His Word and the 
propagation of His religion : this was not fully wit- 
nessed, except among the Arabs, until the second 
century of the Hejira, when it was introduced 
among the Persians, the inhabitants of the Cauca- 
sus, the Turks and Indians. The conquests of the 
Islam princes, in the first century, reached east- 
ward to Furgana (near China), and westward to 
Sicily and Spain. The Islam princes, with a few 
exceptions, it is said, did not compel any nation to 
accept the religion, for they gave people the choice 
between paying taxes or embracing the faith. 



The Fourth Introduction. 253 

The success of the Mohammedan conquerors 
was sufficient inducement for people to embrace 
a religion far more advanced than their ancient 
idolatry and fire-worship; especially when we add 
to this, the attractive simplicity of life of the Mo- 
hammedan devotees, who were numerous at that 
time. Notwithstanding this, the inhabitants of the 
Caspian countries and Trans-Euxine provinces, did 
not accept Mohammedanism before the second and 
third century of Hejira, as we have mentioned 
above. 

As to the miracles and wonders which it is said 
were demanded from Mohammed by his adver- 
saries, and which the Mohammedan doctors are 
craftily attempting to prove in his behalf; these are 
disproved by the clear texts of the Koran. There 
are verses in this book which plainly indicate that 
God the Exalted did not wish to show forth any 
sign in the Islam Manifestation, except the Book; 
for signs are warnings concerning destruction and 
ruin. It is recorded in the Koran, in the "chapter 
of the Israelites ,, ("The Night Journey," Sale's 
translation): — "Nothing hindered us from sending 
(thee) with miracles, except that the former (na- 
tions) have charged them with imposture. We 
gave unto (the tribe of) Thamud (at their demand), 
the she-camel visible (to their sight); yet they dealt 
unjustly with her; and we send not (a prophet) with 
miracles, but to strike terror." 

That is, God the Exalted has refused to send any 
miracles in the Manifestation of Mohammed; for 
the former nations, such as the Egyptian, Ad, and 



2 54 The Fourth Introduction. 

Thamud, demanded miracles from the prophets, 
then afterward charged them with imposture, and 
denied them; therefore God destroyed them on ac- 
count of their denial. God does not send signs or 
miracles, except as a warning of destruction and 
threatening of desolation. There are many other 
similar verses in the Book, which we have spoken 
of in detail in "Fara-yed," "Dorar-el-Baheyeh," and 
"Fassl-ul-Khatab" (books by the same author). 

As to the miracles which are said to have pro- 
ceeded from Mohammed even before being de- 
manded: These have no authority except the tradi- 
tions and records which are not reliable save to 
those who wish to believe. And if we add to this, 
the weakness of miracles in proving the truth of a 
claimant to prophethood, as we have formerly ex- 
plained, there would not remain anything worthy 
of reliance or production, as an argument. But 
there are prophecies concerning future events, re- 
corded both in the Koran and in the authoritative 
traditions attributed to Him, which cannot be dis- 
regarded and rejected by any except a bigoted dis- 
putant. In them, Mohammed has foretold the con- 
ditions of His religion, and all that would happen 
to it, including its advance and decline, prosperity 
and adversity, weakness and power, subdivision, 
desolation, etc.; everything in full details and par- 
ticulars, until the lapse and termination of its 
cycle. 

Likewise, He foreshadowed the events which 
would happen at the end of His cycle, concerning 
the Manifestation of Mahdi (the Precursor), the 



The Fourth Introduction. 255 

descent of the "Spirit of God" (Christ), the rise of 
false prophets, the appearance of impostors, the 
major Resurrection, the minor Resurrection, and 
their signs and tokens. These, He has also prophe- 
sied in full detail, including their dates and places; 
things which no one can apprehend through hu- 
man comprehension or foretell through political 
forecasts. The like has never before been wit- 
nessed in the texts of any holy Manifestation pre- 
vious to Him. Yet these traditions being collected 
during the second and third centuries of Hegira, 
before which they had been preserved in memories, 
and related by word of mouth, must needs contain 
some blunders and inconsistencies, due to human 
forgetfulness and mistakes. Moreover, the relat- 
ing of prophetic traditions was regarded by the 
Moslems in those days, as a high dignity and call- 
ing, and was used as a means for the attainment 
to worldly aims, by ambitious men. The tyrant 
Khalifs who were constantly afraid of the pure 
lineage of Ali and the household of Mohammed, 
bought the adherence of some of their immediate 
companions and followers with gold. These faith- 
less ones fabricated for them traditions in praise 
of the enemies of the imams of Mohammed's 
household, and sought by this artifice to turn away 
the attention of people from the family of AH, and 
secure their own usurped dominion and khaliphat. 
In this way, trading in traditions, and markets for 
fabricating records were started, and thus truth and 
falsehood became intermingled. Books of such 
prophetic traditions were compiled, which the doc- 



256 The Fourth Introduction. 

tors of religion accepted through fear, greed, and 
desire; which finally ended in misleading the people 
and casting them into the depths of degradation. 
Yet the possessors of clear insight were not pre- 
vented from recognizing the authentic traditions 
and distinguishing them from those which are not 
reliable. Verily, the words of the prophets and 
messengers, and the depositories of their wisdom 
and knowledge, are endowed with certain virtues 
and qualities which are not concealed from those 
capable of understanding them. By authentic tra- 
ditions, we do not mean in the sense understood 
by Mohammedan doctors, both Shi-ite and Sun- 
nite. For the Sunnites regard as authentic a tra- 
dition which agrees with their own creed and is 
related by one of their sect; disregarding every 
other tradition, even though it may be from a relia- 
ble and trustworthy source. Likewise, the Shi-ite 
doctors give no credit to the traditions which are 
not in accordance with their own doctrine. This 
does not satisfy any seeker of truth, nor can it be 
a means of distinguishing truth from falsehood, or 
removing discord; for no community agrees 
with the opinion of another. But to the followers 
of Truth, by an authentic tradition is meant one 
which conforms with the Book of God ("for it 
contains the explanation of all things"), or which 
agrees with a fact of real occurrence. Such are 
the traditions containing prophecies which have 
come to pass and are fulfilled. 

To resume. The traditions predicting future 
events were proofs whereby the Moslems could 



The Fourth Introduction. 257 

demonstrate the truth of the founder of their re- 
ligion; but they themselves corrupted them and 
mixed with the truth they contained their own 
fabrications, in order to gain the favor of the tyran- 
nical Khalifat of the lineage of Abi-Sofyan, the 
"Angel of the bottomless pit," spoken of in the 9th 
and 1 2th chapters of Revelation, and the "cursed 
tree" alluded to in the Koran. These are inter- 
preted to mean this khalifat. 

As to the prophecies given in the Holy Bible and 
in the Books of the other Israelitish prophets con- 
cerning Mohammed; these are as pure and limpid 
drops of water falling from the fissures of the rocks 
of involved enigmas, as we will, God permitting, 
set forth in future statements. 

The prophecies given in the New Testament, 
concerning the appearance of Mohammed, are even 
clearer and more manifest; especially in the nth 
and 1 2th chapters of Revelation. At the same 
time they are all prefaces and signs of the Advent 
of the "Day of God"; the arrival of the "Great 
Hour," and the Manifestation of the "Beauty of 
God," the "Behi-El-Abha." 

O ye pious souls! Now that ye have understood 
the manner of the propagation of the former re- 
ligions and in what measure these four proofs can 
be used by their adherents, know ye (may God pour 
upon you a light from His Kingdom the El-Abha!), 
that the aforementioned proofs demonstrate this 
most holy and Supreme Manifestation, in a far 
clearer and more perfect way than is the case with 
other religions. Therefore should any one of the 



258 The Fourth Introduction. 

followers of the former prophets deny this one, it 
would be absolutely impossible for him to prove the 
truth of his own religion; to which fact we have 
made reference in former demonstrations. 

We must now speak of each one of the aforesaid 
proofs in connection with this Most Great Mani- 
festation, just as we have spoken of them in con- 
nection with other religions, — so that the superior 
significance of their application to Him, may be 
clearly realized by every man of faith. 

As to the Divine Book, namely, the Heavenly 
Revelation. Verily, our Lord the ABHA, not- 
withstanding that He was subject during the days 
of His Manifestation, to all kinds of physical calam- 
ities, afflictions, and great tribulations, which we 
will not now enlarge upon; although He was not 
a man of learning nor a student of any university; 
yet his Holy Tablets, both Persian and Arabic, are 
spread throughout all regions, and it is no ex- 
aggeration to say that they exceed in quantity the 
Heavenly Books and Divine Writings possessed 
by all the different nations of the earth. They em- 
body the solutions of the intricacies of the pro- 
phetic Books, interpretations of the Words of the 
Chosen Ones, and contain answers to the abstruse 
questions of the leading philosophers and doctors, 
which knowledge was sealed and closed up by the 
prophets of bygone cycles, so that the minds of the 
wisest men of every century were unable to com- 
prehend it. 

His Holy Tablets contain laws, ordinances, regu- 
lations and ethical teachings whereby the character 



The Fourth Introduction. 259 

of the most barbarous peoples are reformed, the 
rights of all nations can be preserved, and upon 
which all the world can agree. 

They contain discourses upon the subtle mean- 
ings of Divine Unity, the mode of the Manifesta- 
tion of Prophets, the station and mission of the 
Chosen Ones, and praises of the Glorious God. 
They contain prayers, invocations, supplications, 
communes, directions to be humble toward God 
and submissive in His Presence; all of which call 
forth compassion, soften the character, and create 
that fear of God, that solid foundation, upon which 
the Wisdom proceeding from the Spirit of Assur- 
ance and firm faith, is based. To this, God has 
made reference, thus: — "Adore thy Lord, that 
positive Realization may come to thee." 

During His blessed Days, four rivers flowed 
forth from His Supreme Pen and sweet Utterances, 
containing such Divine and Exalted Knowledge, 
such lofty, heavenly Wisdom, that hearts are quick- 
ened, souls rejoiced, the dead are raised, and 
breasts dilated. These are the same four rivers 
flowing from the Throne of God in the exalted 
Paradise; the fountains pouring out the Water of 
Life from the Supreme Concourse, spoken of by 
the Guardians of Revelation. Also it is said by God 
through the tongue of Moses: — "My doctrine shall 
drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, 
as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the 
showers upon the grass." 

As to the excellent "Branch extended from the 
Ancient Root," the Light risen from the Heaven 



2 6 ° The Fourth Introduction. 

of the Will of our Lord the Clement, the Merciful; 
the pen of a fluent writer fails to describe His Holy 
Tablets and Utterances or the nature of His mar- 
vellous character and qualities. There are thou- 
sands of His Tablets spread in all parts, as blos- 
soms scattered from the trees in spring time. 
Like fragrance wafted by the breeze of dawn, does 
His fluent Pen diffuse life in all cities. When in 
1894 A. D., the author travelled to the Holy Land, 
and through the assistance of the Divine Favors, 
attained unto the visit of His Holy Threshold, he 
was amazed to behold in Him all virtues and per- 
fections. These were witnessed during ten months 
residence in the shelter of His nearness. Many a 
time we were in His holy Presence, when multi- 
tudes of prominent people were there, such as 
judges, doctors, and great military and civil officials 
of different nationality, religion, and language. 
While He was in their midst, large packages of 
letters from all parts and countries of the world 
were brought to Him. Although encompassed 
with insurmountable difficulties, He (Glorified is 
His Name and Grandeur!) continued to answer 
questions and requests made by those present, 
while He wrote replies to each letter. These 
Tablets and replies were written without medita- 
tion, pause of pen, or preliminary rough-copy, and 
without the help of a scribe. All regions are filled 
with His Tablets and hearts are attracted through 
their spread. He has caused the Voice of His Lord 
the El-Abha, to reach the high heavens. Through 
the words of His widespread epistles which exhale 



The Fourth Introduction. 26x 

the purest fragrances of His Utterances, souls are 
uplifted; and from their verses, the fountains of 
knowledge and wisdom flow onward. 

As to the "First Point/' the Supreme Model, the 
Precursor of the Beauty of our Lord, the Behi-Ul- 
Abha (Glorified is His Name!): He was born of 
one of the noblest households and most holy fami- 
lies, and engaged in trade with His maternal uncle, 
who was an example of virtue and sanctity. When 
twenty-five years old, through the permission of 
His Lord the El-Abha, He declared His mission in 
Mecca, amidst a great congregation, at which an- 
nouncement, all quarters of the world trembled, 
and the pillars of the earth quaked v Thence He 
returned to the city of Bushire situated on the 
coast of the Persian Gulf; His face shining and 
gleaming as the moon in mid-heaven. On His ar- 
rival thither, He remained in His uncle's house; 
then, after a few days, He left for Shiraz. On the 
road, He was overtaken and captured by a squad 
of cavalry sent by the Government. The days of 
His mission lasted for almost seven years, all of 
which He passed in banishment and imprisonment, 
either in His own house or in the quarters of the 
Government. Finally, He was exiled to Azerbeyjan, 
Persia; and in Tabriz, the principal city of that 
province, He suffered martyrdom and ascended to 
the shelter of God. During these long afflictions, 
He revealed volumes of verses, discourses, com- 
munes, and scientific treatises, both in Persian and 
Arabic, which astounded men of learning, and 
silenced disputing doctors and philosophers. He 



262 The Fourth Introduction. 

wrote His Holy Tablets without premeditation. He 
challenged men of learning, openly demanding of 
them to produce even one similar verse. Most of 
them, He wrote in the presence of the king, 
princes, and prominent men of learning and litera- 
ture. At the same time, His blessed life was at 
the mercy of His strongest antagonists, and sub- 
ject to the word of the most unjust, hard-hearted, 
ignorant religious doctors. 

Yet they could not find any ground of objection 
to His verses, except that they contained things 
contrary to grammatical rules, which, they said, 
destroyed their eloquence and fluency. He 
silenced them by showing similar examples re- 
vealed in the Koran. We have completely dis- 
cussed this point in detail, in our book "Fara'-yed." 

But all their argument served only to prove that 
His exalted Word became effective and preva- 
lent solely through the Power of God and His 
Heavenly Will; and not through material and hu- 
man means, such as scholastic learning and rhetori- 
cal eloquence. By the Life of God, nothing baffles 
or silences the sceptic, except the fact that in spite 
of every difficulty, doubt and obstacle, the Word 
of God prevails. 

God the Almighty sent Mohammed with the 
verses of the Koran, containing every beauty of 
style; and it was said: — " Verily, Mohammed de- 
ludes people by the charm of his speech and by 
adorning the words of his Koran." Then He sent 
the "First Point" with the verses of The Beyan and 
simplicity of explanation ; and it was said that the 



The Fourth Introduction. 263 

Bab's words were vernacular and ungrammatical. 
How can God the Almighty deal with these con- 
tradictory opinions and inconsistent objections, 
except to do "whatsoever He willeth and com- 
mand whatsoever He desireth? ,, Thus He aban- 
dons these sceptics to bewilder themselves in their 
doubts and indulge in their objections. Concern- 
ing the Tablets of our Lord the Master, Abdul- 
Beha, the Glory of all in the Kingdom of Names ; 
notwithstanding their beauty of explanation and 
the grace of their style, which is acknowledged by 
every eloquent man and fluent writer, the most as- 
tonishing objection was made by the center of Vi- 
olation, the leader of the Nakazeen, who said: — 
"As his words contain no grammatical errors, they 
do not resemble Divine Words.'* What was said 
by our Lord Jesus Christ, is fulfilled in them 
(Matt., ch. xi., vs. 16 to 19): — "But whereunto 
shall I liken this generation? It is like unto chil- 
dren sitting in the markets, and calling unto their 
fellows, and saying, we have piped unto you, and 
ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, 
and ye have not lamented. For John came 
neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath 
a devil. The son of man came eating and drink- 
ing, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and 
a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. 
But wisdom is justified of her children." Let us 
leave the deniers to wander in the abyss of imagi- 
nation, and return to our subject. 

As to the Logical Argument, that is the preva- 
lence of His Word, and the promotion of His 



264 The Fourth Introduction. 

Cause, without the assistance of any human 
means, but only through the Divine Will and 
heavenly evidences ; this point is too clear to need 
any further explanation and demonstration. Not- 
withstanding that the progress of His Holy Word 
was prevented by the power of tyranny with all 
manners of prohibition, yet in less than one quar- 
ter of a century, His Manifestation and Cause 
penetrated all religions and peoples, affecting most 
of the creeds and sects. By its power, numerous 
souls among Moslems, Christians, Zoroastrians, 
Nusseyrites and Jews have come to believe in His 
teachings; their morals have been reformed, their 
tastes purified, their learning expanded, their man- 
ners beautified, and the Spirit of Faith and the 
Breath of Assurance have filled their hearts. In 
time of tribulation they have preferred to die 
rather than abandon their faith, surrendering their 
lives in the path of their Beloved with the utmost 
delight. During afflictions their faces beamed 
with the joy of sacrifice, and while in the clutches 
of the enemy, they sang melodies of thanks and 
glorification. It is very rare to find one of the 
people of Beha who is not willing in heart to suffer 
martyrdom for the sake of God ; or one firm in the 
"Covenant of Him around whom all Names re- 
volve," who is not rejoiced in Spirit to sacrifice 
himself for promoting the Word of God. This is 
a sign of the most complete realization and perfect 
faith. This is a confirmatory and real testimony 
of the Word of the Manifestation of the Cause of 
God, the Lord of the Creatures. 



The Fourth Introduction. 265 

The attitude of the Hebrew and Zoroastrian 
peoples is most amazing; for as is known to the 
men of understanding, enmity toward Christ and 
Mohammed was from time of old, inborn in their 
hearts, and their whole being was filled with 
hatred for these two manifest lights, to such an 
extent that none of the leaders of these two re- 
ligions could convert even one Jew or Zoroas- 
trian, except by force and compulsion. But the 
people of Beha have converted thousands of them 
through their clear arguments, whereby their souls 
are illumined, their eyes are opened, their morals 
reformed, their characters renewed, their hatred 
changed into love, their discord into harmony, 
their infidelity into faith, and their hostility into 
obedience and loyalty. These converts have even 
directed other peoples and religions, to the foun- 
tain of truth, and thus the words of God are ful- 
filled in them : — "And we were minded to be gra- 
cious unto those who were weakened in the land, 
and to make them leaders of religion and to make 
them the heirs (of the Kingdom and the holy 
Land)." 

Likewise, the words of Zechariah were fulfilled, 
as written in ch. viii., v. 23: — "Thus saith the Lord 
of hosts ; In those days it shall come to pass, that 
ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the 
nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him 
that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you : for we 
have heard that God is with you." 

The words of Christ are also fulfilled in them 
(Rev., ch. vii., v. 4): — "And I heard the number of 



266 The Fourth Introduction. 

them which were sealed: And there were sealed 
an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the 
tribes of the Children of Israel." 

As to Miracles and Wonders: As the time of 
this Manifestation is recent, it is possible for every 
seeker to investigate the sources of these wonders 
and the character of their narrators. Thus the 
truthful may be recognized among them, and 
those whose words can be relied upon. There- 
fore these acts and wonders are nearer to accept- 
ance than the miracles of the former prophets, the 
sources of which cannot be investigated, nor their 
narrators examined. Almost all those who have 
been in the presence of our Lord the El-Abha, 
and whose good character and deeds testify to 
their purity of heart; those whose words can be 
trusted, have witnessed His manifest miracles and 
clear signs. Even numbers of people who are 
outside of His Religion, have given testimony of 
His Miracles, which evidences we have written in 
our book "Ferayed." This fact is one of the 
characteristics of this most luminous and glorious 
Manifestation, the power by which it transcends 
all former Manifestations. The author can tes- 
tify, and God the Exalted bears witness to the 
truth of the circumstances in connection with the 
oppression of Abdul-Aziz, Sultan of Turkey, and 
the events which followed it. The late Zabih 
(Haji Mohammed Ismael, who suffered martyrdom 
in Persia) informed the author of their full partic- 
ulars, in 1293 A. H. (1876 A. D.), and read unto 
him, the Tablet of Rais and the Tablet of K.Z. 



The Fourth Introduction. 267 

(an abbreviation of the name of Sheikh Kazem of 
Kazwin, entitled Samandar, an old faithful Behai 
merchant and prominent teacher still living in 
Kazwin, Persia). Thus we possessed informa- 
tion of them nearly seven months before their oc- 
currence. At that time we were in our father's 
religion, and could not believe that the events 
spoken of in those Tablets would come to pass. 
Yet his honor Aga-Abdul-Karim, of Isfahan, 
our teacher of the Truth, guaranteed it, and finally 
they were completely fulfilled. 

Still clearer are the prophecies he has made in 
His Tablets concerning future events, which 
prophecies he calls "evidences" ; of the fulfillment 
of which the world will be informed, and the 
sleepers will be cognizant thereof, after their ap- 
pearance. 

Some of the events which occurred in the days 
of our Lord the El-Abha (Glorified is His Name !), 
deserve to be noticed by the men of perception. 
Very often meetings were held by the men of 
learning and by members of the Government, at 
which prominent people discussed how to resist 
the effectiveness of the Word of God, as revealed 
in Our Lord; and demanded public miracles. Fi- 
nally, they concluded to resort to violence and per- 
secution, as is the established custom of tyrants. 

One of these events occurred in 1882 A. D. 
(1300 A. H.), when a number of Behais were ar- 
rested without cause or reason, through the insti- 
gation of doctors of religion. This oppression 
was by the command of the prince Kamran-Mirza, 



268 The Fourth Introduction. 

the third son of the late Nasser-eddin-Shah, then 
entitled Nayeb-El-Saltaneh (Prince Regent), Gov- 
ernor of Teheran. Some of the Behais were 
arrested in the city of Rasht, the principal town of 
Guilan, Persia, and others were taken in Isfahan 
and Hamadan. This stirred all parts of Persia, 
and persecutions prevailed throughout all cities. 
The doctors of religion and the rulers availed 
themselves of this opportunity to plunder the 
property of the people of faith. By this, they 
showed forth the hatred which they bore, as well 
as their inability to resist the people of Beha with 
proofs and arguments. Among those arrested 
and imprisoned in Teheran was Mirza-Moham- 
med-Reza of Mohammed-Abad (well-known as 
Yazdi), a gray-bearded man of seventy, lion- 
hearted and noted for steadfastness. He (may 
the Mercy of God be upon him !) was a symbol of 
piety, sanctity, truthfulness and steadfastness in 
the Cause of God. Even the most violent of his 
enemies have confessed his virtues, and his brill- 
iant character raised sympathy in the hardest 
hearts of his persecutors. 

In those days meetings for discussion with the 
believers of God were held in the house 
of the above-mentioned prince. The pur- 
pose of these meetings was to silence and con- 
fute the Beha'is, and not for inquiry or investiga- 
tion. They used the most evil kinds of execra- 
tion, which constitutes the only armor of an ig- 
norant man when discomfited, and supplies a 
sword to the debased and wicked. Their habit in 



The Fourth Introduction. 269 

controversy was to first uphold their own theolog- 
ical doctrines, which assert that the Mahdi who 
will arise in the Cause of God, shall not be per- 
mitted to contradict any of their beliefs, or to 
change any of their rites and customs. This im- 
plies that they, and not God, send the Forerunner 
of the Cause of God, and cause the "Spirit of God" 
to descend. Thus they have ordained fixed laws 
and regulations, and have traced a certain path for 
God's messenger before His appearance, without 
allowing that any change or departure could be 
made therefrom. And this is characteristic of 
each religious sect, notwithstanding the diverg- 
ence and difference between their beliefs, customs 
and creeds. In such a case, how could the Mahdi 
satisfy the different communities and peoples? 
Must he comply with the wishes of the Sunnites, 
who insist that He should conform to the law of 
Hanafieh, or with the desires of the Shi-ites who 
require him to follow the theory of the Imamat? 
God is far exalted above what the unjust men say ! 
To be brief. While the believers put them to 
silence in this arena, by arguments, texts of the 
Koran and the traditions, they still clung to mira- 
cles; temptingly demanding signs. These inso- 
lent and ease-loving individuals did not even take 
the pains to present themselves before the Mani- 
festation of God, as did the former nations; but, 
while remaining in their own home and country, 
each one demanded whatever happened to be dic- 
tated by his own imaginations, thoughts, views 
and desires. 



270 



The Fourth Introduction. 



The believers answered them, that verily, mira- 
cles are of no value in similar cases, nor do they 
give the benefit of assurance and conviction to the 
seeker ; and that the only cause of the ruin of for- 
mer nations was in demanding miracles from their 
prophets, and tempting their messengers through 
their groundless requests. They said, if you deem 
it necessary, agree together in demanding a cer- 
tain sign upon an appointed day ; announce to the 
people of Teheran what you have decided upon; 
then ask it from the Day-spring of the lights of 
God, the Behi-El Abha. He will show forth unto 
you that great sign. For it is not reasonable that 
the Manifestations of the Command of God should 
grant all the individual wishes and whims of the 
seekers of wonders. Even people who are not 
seeking after religion or the understanding of 
truth, would continually demand miracles for their 
own amusement and delight ; and thus the assem- 
blies of the prophets and messengers, the abodes 
of wisdom and guidance, would be changed into 
gatherings for amusement and jugglery. Thus it 
was said by God: — "If the truth had followed their 
desires, verily, the heavens and the earth had been 
corrupted''; that is, the peoples and religions 
would have been corrupted. Here the exalted 
Lord hath interpreted the word "heaven" to be 
the heaven of religion, and "earth" to be the hearts 
of the faithful. It is spoken of as the "earth of 
Knowledge and Assurance" in the Book of 
"Ighan." 



The Fourth Introduction. 271 

While the author was imprisoned in the house 
of the prince Nayeb-Essaltanah (the late Shah's 
third son, then Governor of Teheran), we were, 
one day, summoned into his presence. When 
seated before him, while a number of princes and 
generals stood by, he addressed us, saying : — 

"O Abul-Fazl, verily, Mirza-Mohammed-Reza 
says that we may demand by a telegram, any mir- 
acle that we may decide upon, from Beha-Ullah, 
and that He will undoubtedly manifest through 
His Divine Power, the miracle we seek for, in re- 
sponse to our request. He further says, that if 
Beha-Ullah did not show forth the miracle we 
ask, — which supposition is impossible, — then he 
(Reza) would himself denounce Him in all the 
Moslem countries. By this statement he ,has 
shown his great belief and trust in the Founder of 
His Faith." Then we answered: — "Mirza-Mo- 
hammed-Reza must needs be very certain of the 
appearance of the miracle which he has so seri- 
ously promised you without doubt or hesitation. 
He is known by you to be very fearless, sincere and 
steadfast in this Cause." Then the Gover- 
nor questioned us saying: — "What is your 
opinion as to whether we should demand 
the miracle or abandon the idea?" We an- 
swered: — "What is the cause of your hesi- 
tation and the reason of your delay in demanding 
a miracle and concluding the matter? We have 
frequently heard you saying, that if Beha-Ullah 
is the very Manifestation of the Lord, promised in 
the Koran, why does He not show us a miracle? 



272 The Fourth Introduction. 

Here are the people of Beha, ready to answer your 
demand and enable you to attain your aim. Ver- 
ily they have declared the proof unto you and 
propounded the evidence for you, while you are 
heedless of the evil result which might follow. 
Should you not look into this matter with the eye 
of a just investigator and not as a contentious op- 
pressor? Then your name may be spoken of with 
respect during future times, and that which befell 
the former nations, may not happen unto you! 
Know, O prince, verily suppression, prohibition, 
imprisonment, murder, and similar persecutions 
will not prevent the propagation of this Cause. 
People will not submit to kings in matters of re- 
ligion, nor will they, for the sake of their nobles 
and princes, turn away from the one whom they 
have followed as the means of their salvation. 
Nay, rather, were you to behold with a discerning 
eye, you would find that hindrance and restriction 
tend but to increase man's search after the Truth 
and his belief in it. The murder and imprison- 
ment of believers but adds to the credit and re- 
spect of the Cause, in the sight of men of percep- 
tion. By the Life of God, man does not despise 
that for which he has spent gold and property; 
then how can he abandon that for which souls and 
lives are sacrificed, and for the sake of which the 
severest calamities and afflictions are accounted a 
delight? Has not forty years' experience been 
sufficient to make known unto you these evident 
facts? Therefore you should not forsake your 
own judgment at the instigation of ignorant doc- 



The Fourth Introduction. 273 

tors of religion, who are known to be the most 
violent enemies of your government, and the most 
bitter antagonists of your rule ? You should con- 
sider these things if your purpose is to protect the 
people from being led astray in regard to religion, 
although 'you have not been sent as guardian 
unto them/ And if you intend to guard your gov- 
ernment and preserve your dominion, by God, I do 
not see any ground for fearing this movement. 
The great Lord Beha-Ullah has commanded His 
followers to love all nations, to have respect for 
philosophers and learned men, to forsake strife 
with any sect and creed, to bear allegiance to 
kings and princes, to obey the laws of the Govern- 
ment, and not to interfere with political affairs. 
By a prohibition which cannot be doubted, 
changed or otherwise interpreted, He has strictly 
forbidden conflict, quarrel, and all that may create 
hatred and animosity in souls and hearts, such as 
contention for glory and honor; so that nothing 
contrary to humanity or to the preservation of 
society may arise.' , 

"Consequently, you find the people of Beha en- 
during every injustice and humiliation, every 
abasement and persecution, without sigh, com- 
plaint, or deviation from the highway of obedi- 
ence and loyalty. But this is not from cowardice, 
fear or baseness, for you have witnessed their 
great fortitude, dumb endurance, and great pa- 
tience under persecutions; you know well their 
firmness of heart under the attack of enemies. 
Nay, rather, all this is in compliance with the Com- 



274 The Fourth Introduction. 

mand of their Lord the El-Abha, and for the pur- 
pose of attaining true human virtues, which are 
the only means for the reformation of the world." 

"O great prince, it is not an ordinary thing for 
governments to find subjects who regard alle- 
giance to the commands of their empire as relig- 
ious duty; who practice obedience to the laws of 
government as a Divine Commandment. If you 
judge with fairness, you will acknowledge that this 
is the greatest Bounty of God which has yet ap- 
peared for the amelioration of the world ; the high- 
est heavenly Gift which has descended for the re- 
moval of the rancour concealed in the hearts of 
peoples." 

To be brief. We discoursed concerning the de- 
mand for miracles and upon other subjects which 
deserved consideration, giving him every possible 
proof, and sincerely admonishing him. But he 
was surrounded with hostile suggestions of the re- 
ligious doctors and the plots of the ignorant, so 
that nothing affected his opinion. So they assem- 
bled together and consulted how to suppress and 
eradicate the people of Beha, who, whether in joy 
or sorrow, only wished them good in return and 
who, in all circumstances, endeavored to lead them 
to honor and felicity. But God frustrated their 
evil plans and exertions, dispersed their meetings, 
scattered their gatherings, and their histories and 
records remain in the books and writings, as warn- 
ings to men of discernment and perception. 

More wonderful and important than that which 
has already been mentioned, is the event which oc- 



The Fourth Introduction. 275 

curred in Irak-Arabi, when the city of Baghdad 
was illuminated by the lights of the "Orb of the 
Universe." The pith of this event is that when the 
sun of the face of El-Beha shone forth from the 
horizon of the "Abode of Peace" (Baghdad), and 
His brilliant lights overcame the obscurity of the 
dense clouds which prevailed in the Cause of the 
"First Point," dispelling the darkness; then the 
Cause of God scintillated with lights, the scattered 
believers of God were brought together, and the 
penetration and effectiveness of the Word of God 
increased. This provoked the hatred and animos- 
ity of the Shi'ite doctors, who have great influence 
and are regarded of high importance in Irak, be- 
cause the sanctuaries and tombs of the Imams are 
situated there. To these shrines the pilgrims of 
the Shi-ite "Church of the twelve" travel from all 
countries. 

In those days, Sheik- Abdul-Hussein of Teheran, 
the Mujtahid, resided at Irak. As he was feared 
for his ingrained folly, pride, rashness, and prone- 
ness to revolt, the Persian Government had re- 
moved him thither, under the pretence of giving 
him a special appointment at the holy Sanctuaries. 
This appointment secured for him among the doc- 
tors, a kind of leadership, and gave him an abso- 
lute power and influence over people in general. 
When this Sheik saw the prevalence of the light 
of the Cause and Divine Word, he deliberately de- 
termined to resist the Word of God by force, eradi- 
cate the Behaiis, and to shed the blood of a consid- 
erable number of them by exciting a revolt. He 



276 The Fourth Introduction. 

called a meeting of prominent Shi-ites, who dis- 
cussed plans among themselves, and agreed to 
summon in council in the city of Kazemi-yeh 
(within 3 miles' distance from Baghdad), a large 
number of the doctors of Karbela and Najef, and 
the leading Shi-ites who resided in these places. 
The Persian Consul who then lived at Baghdad, 
was in accord with them. They also invited the 
great Divine Sheik-Mortaza-El-Ansari, a lofty per- 
sonage, who was universally accepted by all the 
Shi-ites both in the East and West for his knowl- 
edge and piety. He was the chief among the Per- 
sian doctors of religion (may God cause the 
clouds of mercy and forgiveness to shower upon 
him !). But these plotters invited him nominally to 
a feast and concealed from him the real purpose of 
this council ; for he was quite free from revolution- 
ary plans, and entirely given to acts of devotion 
and to scientific lectures. He had rigorously ab- 
stained from listening to any complaint or evil 
word against the Babi community, believing that 
this subject (Behaism) pertained to the fundamen- 
tal facts of religion, in which God has not allowed 
His servants to follow the opinion of others, or to 
rest upon theological decisions. Nay, rather, he 
reasoned, God has rebuked and rejected those who 
follow the opinion of their fathers, leaders, kings 
and divines, and has given a perfect freedom to 
every individual to investigate these facts himself 
with his own eyes, apprehending them through his 
own effort and exertion. Thus God has promised 
them guidance as a fruit of this exertion, and has 



The Fourth Introduction. 277 

clearly stated that they shall attain the Truth. 
Far be it from Him to break His promise ! 

These doctors knew this to be his opinion in 
theology, but they imagined that when he entered 
into their assembly and saw their number and 
unanimous agreement, he would also conform and 
be in one accord with them. 

The appointed day came ; the doctors and prom- 
inent men assembled together in the city of Kaze- 
mi-yeh, and people gathered around them from 
every quarter. Then arose the headstrong Sheik- 
Abdul-Hussein who, in the course of an address, 
divulged the purpose of their assembly, and laid 
bare unto them his plan for suppressing the Babis. 

When the late Sheik-Mortaza-El-Ansari heard 
his speech and understood this object, he instantly 
arose and went out from among them. No mat- 
ter how they insisted upon his remaining, showed 
the necessity of his presence, and tried to persuade 
him to agree with them, he would not assent, but 
persisted in leaving them. He did not even stop 
in that city, but immediately departed to the City 
of Najef, where the tomb of Ali is located, and 
which was his headquarters for religious lectures. 
When he left, the members of the assembly were 
confused, and their plans changed, yet because of 
their high rank and great number, they were not 
diverted from putting their plans into practice. 
By vote, they resolved to send a representative to 
the holy presence of Beha-Ullah, inquiring about 
His aim and the purpose of His Claim, as well as 
His proofs and Arguments. This mission was 



278 The Fourth Introduction. 

entrusted to one of the doctors named Mollah- 
Hassan the Amoo, a prominent Persian divine, re- 
siding at Irak, who was greatly trusted by Sheik- 
Abdul-Hussein, and valued by him for his elo- 
quence, judgment, constancy and firmness. When 
this delegate arrived at Baghdad, he attained the 
honor of entering into the presence of the Most 
Holy Abha, through the intercession of one of the 
Persian nobility who was there at that time. He 
delivered the message of the doctors. Then the 
Tongue of Grandeur engaged in discourse and ex- 
planation, and the reins of Utterance were loos- 
ened in the arena of proof and argument. Then 
was demonstrated the truth of the mission of the 
"First Point," through explanations which 
quicken souls and spirits, attract hearts and minds, 
unveil the essential evidences and irrefutable 
proofs, and entirely destroy and remove the suspi- 
cions of the sceptic. Finally, Mollah-Hassan was 
requested to inform the doctors of what he had 
seen and heard concerning the signs of his Lord 
the El-Abha, and to ask them to present them- 
selves before Him, so that He might make the 
Truth as clear to them as the sun in mid-heaven, 
and thus conclude the matter satisfactorily. When 
the delegate found in the Power of His proofs 
and the fullness of His explanation, that which 
was beyond his expectation, he was so over- 
whelmed with the waves of the sea of Beha-Ullah's 
Knowledge and Utterance, that he could not 
avoid acknowledging His Grandeur and Might, 
and submitting to the shining lights of His Argu- 



The Fourth Introduction. 279 

ments. He bowed down in obedience, saying: — 
"Truly, it is impossible to demonstrate the truth 
of any other of the heavenly religions and Divine 
Matters, with such clearness, elucidation, and 
measure of proof and argument. The straight 
Highway path appeared clear as the sun, and the 
Morn of Truth hath risen as a bright dawn which 
follows a dark night. Yet the condition of the 
doctors and the criticism of the divines must be 
evident to the Presence of El-Abha. If they are 
not contented with scientific proofs and decisive 
arguments, is there any way to show them Divine 
miracles and heavenly Signs?" 

By this, he meant to ask the Lord's permission 
to promise the doctors the appearance of a great 
sign, which might silence the ignorant and cut 
the ropes of the superstitious. The Lord of man- 
kind gave him a direct answer, saying: — "Let the 
assembly of doctors agree together to demand a 
particular sign and a definite miracle from the holy 
Presence of El-Abha, so that God the Exalted, 
may manifest the required sign and miracle. 
Thus no ground will be left for doubt and denial ; 
even as during former centuries, God hath dealt 
with the rebellious nations of the past." 

When Mullah-Hassan the delegate heard this 
clear promise from the Tongue of Grandeur, he 
returned to Kazemeyehwith joy and gladness, sup- 
posing that he could thereby satisfy those exorbi- 
tant and unjust souls, and thus prevent the calami- 
ties which might result from that ominous and vi- 
olent revolutionary meeting. When he met the 



2&> The Fourth Introduction. 

doctors and informed them of the perfect proofs, 
clear arguments and the promise finally given by 
Beha-Ullah concerning the showing forth of a de- 
cisive miracle, the violence of the insolent Sheik- 
Abdul-Hussein increased. He was frenzied with 
anger as he listened to the account of the promise 
of a sign. For the Sheik, because of his excessive 
pride, vanity, arrogance, and violent hostility 
toward the "First Point" and His followers, could 
not bear the sight of any of the Babis. How then 
could he be supposed to agree to a scientific de- 
bate and a demand for heavenly Signs ? In truth, 
he was more afraid of being discomfited in the 
discussion and defeated in the field of controversy, 
than of the appearance of a great Sign at which 
heads would bow down, and whereby the light of 
the Sun of the Divine Word might become mani- 
fest throughout all regions. These are general 
characteristics inherent in the doctors of every re- 
ligion, because their natures are cramped by the 
dryness of their theological faculty, and their 
thoughts confined to the narrow circle of scholas- 
tic learning. This inevitably results in melancholic 
excitement and desire for securing their religious 
leadership. 

Finally, the opinions of that body of doctors dif- 
fered ; their plans were frustrated and their assem- 
bly scattered. When the Sheik found his meeting 
and council abortive, and that the only result was 
ill-success and failure, the flame of his enmity in- 
creased, and the tempest of his hostility became 
violent. He resolved to resort to political ma- 



The Fourth Introduction. 281 

chines, in combination with those high Persian 
dignitaries and officials whose only occupation 
was the murder of the pious, pillage of the poor, 
and dispersion of the Persian subjects throughout 
all countries and regions. So the Sheik, excited 
and embittered by his disappointment, began to 
correspond with these princes and communicate 
with such as he knew to be antagonistic to the 
people of Beha. Thus arose wicked plans and 
cunning religious stratagems which were intended 
to spread dissension. But God the Exalted dis- 
closed their schemings, ruined their efforts, de- 
feated their hopes, quenched the fire of their re- 
volts, and cut off their root. Naught remains but 
their histories which express the folly of their 
dreams, their lack of understanding, and the ineffi- 
ciency of their deeds. These monuments of wick- 
edness remain as a subject for meditation and a 
warning to such as are willing to be admonished. 
A fact more evident and important than all the 
great events spoken of, and one which demon- 
strates the perfectness of the proofs of our Lord 
the Abha, is the "Epistle to the King," revealed in 
the Kitabel-Hykl, from the Pen of the Merciful, 
to the Shah of Persia. This Tablet was sent to him 
in 1869 A. D. (1286 A. H.), when he was in the 
neighborhood of Teheran. The bearer was a 
youth named Badi, who astonished the world by 
the power of his faith, his great devotion, con- 
stancy, and wonderful endurance in suffering the 
bitterest kind of death, with all joy, and steadfast- 
ness. The hard-hearted executioners, for three 



282 The Fourth Introduction. 

successive days, branded him all over the body 
with red-hot irons, until his flesh was severed from 
his bones, and every limb was out of joint. Yet 
he did not grieve or show the least evidence of 
flinching, nor during the continuance of this 
frightful ordeal, did he display the slightest symp- 
tom of distress or plead for mercy. 

So he breathed his last; his marvellous life 
ended, and his strong, heroic soul ascended to the 
courts of the Exalted Friend; to the Outlook of 
El-Abha, where with brilliant and cheerful face, 
the lights of his glorification beam forth as the sun 
in mid-day. 

In that excellent Epistle, Beha-Ullah gave full 
explanations, and expounded proofs concerning 
the truth of His Mission, as far as an epistle could 
contain ; and these He expressed with the utmost 
grace of speech and elegance of style. He ex- 
plained how the morals of the Babis were changed, 
and how their deeds and disposition had been re- 
formed through His appearance among them in 
Baghdad; how they were thus enabled to pa- 
tiently endure the bitter afflictions and violent ca- 
lamities which were unceasingly pouring upon 
them through the fanaticism of the clergy and the 
caprice of rulers; how during that long period, 
they had committed no act which might disturb 
the Government or trouble the thoughts of states- 
men. In this explicit Tablet, He demonstrated to 
them, by clear arguments and decisive statements, 
that the purpose of the mission of a Manifestation 
of the Cause of God is not to seek after dominion 



The Fourth Introduction. 283 

or attain lofty temporal power. This is the fa- 
vorite argument of accusation against the Behais 
by the ignorant Shi-ites. He proved that political 
dominion has been conferred by God upon kings 
and rulers, and that no Behai is allowed to infringe 
upon their regulations, contradict their opinions, 
interfere with their political management, or stir 
up sedition in their empire. He also clearly ex- 
plained that the appearance of the Manifestation 
of God was in connection with religious affairs and 
spiritual matters, for the purpose of reforming 
morals, sanctifying souls, beautifying actions, and 
illuminating hearts. This was the mission for 
which they were promised in the Heavenly Books ; 
and that function has no relation with political 
matters. 

To resume. This Epistle contained things re- 
vealed by His Supreme Pe,n, whereby the Persian 
statesmen could attain everlasting glory, had they 
been endowed with sagacity and discernment. 
Soon will their posterity lament over their negli- 
gence! 

At the end of the Epistle, the Lord El-Abha 
asked the Shah to arrange that the Persian doctors 
should meet Him in the Shah's presence, in order 
to discuss the proofs of the truth of this Cause; that 
they might ask an explanation of all that lies hid- 
den in their minds and hearts; so that the Truth 
might be distinguished from falsehood, and the 
pathway of Guidance from that of error. Then He 
placed the final decision in the Shah's hands. By 
this, His purpose was not to seek help or assist- 



284 The Fourth Introduction. 

ance from the Shah, but to publicly show forth the 
Truth, and make clear its distinction from false- 
hood, as a proof and accomplishment of His Mis- 
sion. For God the Almighty, is alone sufficient" 
to assist His Manifestation and help His Messen- 
ger. Verily, He is independent from all the world, 
and in His hand are the hosts of heaven and earth! • 
Were the just to judge with fairness, they would 
acknowledge that in bygone ages, no similar event 
has ever occurred in the Appearance of the Mani- 
festations of God, nor has the like of it been wit- 
nessed in past centuries. For the sake of brevity, 
we will not treat of the events and results which 
followed the "Epistle to the King," all of which are 
matters of history. We now return to our discus- 
sion upon religious arguments, whereby the truth 
of the Manifestation of El-Abha can be demon- 
strated. 

As to the prophecies, that is the predictions re- 
vealed in the Holy Scriptures: Know ye (may 
God illumine your faces, brighten your hearts, 
strengthen your limbs, and dilate your breasts!) 
that it was ordained in the Knowledge of God and 
His Great Wisdom to accomplish the amelioration 
of the conditions of the world and the unification 
of nations. Know ye, likewise, that former condi- 
tions should be changed; the ages darkened by 
clouds of division and discord should be ended 
through the Manifestation of His Glorious Face 
and the Advent of His Great Day. Therefore He 
prophesied to all countries and regions the Hour 
of His Coming, and made the Covenant of His Ap- 



The Fourth Introduction. 285 

pearance with all creeds and communities, through 
the tongues of the prophets. For there is no 
founder or institutor of a religion who has not 
made the acceptance of the Faith inseparable from 
belief in the "latter day," and who has not strictly 
commanded his adherents to await the "final salva- 
tion" of that great and important time. No cycle 
has passed without the appearance of a Heavenly 
Man, firmly proclaiming and loudly heralding the 
advent of the "Great Hour," the inevitable coming 
of the great day of Resurrection, the rising of the 
Supreme Lord and the Manifestation of the Beauty 
of God, the Behi-El-Abha. Thus the glad tidings 
of that Manifestation have reached the high heav- 
ens, have spread throughout all regions, and filled 
all prophetic writings and books. Consequently, 
we find the adherents of every one of the seven 
extant religions of the earth, awaiting the coming 
of the great "hour," and believing firmly in the 
advent of the great "Resurrection." We find also 
that in the Book which they recognize to be a 
divine and heavenly Revelation, all the signs, 
tokens, events and occurrences of that Day are 
recorded in full particulars. These particulars 
specify the country and place where its lights shall 
rise, the time of its realization and the date of its 
appearance. This fact is clear to those who study 
these Books, look into their prophecies and con- 
sider the principal purposes of the references made 
therein. By the Life of God, were the possessors 
of mature minds to look into the pages of the Holy 
Scriptures, they would find nothing but a collection 



286 The Fourth Introduction. 

of songs uttered by the tongues of the prophets in 
glorification of their Lord the El-Abha; melodies 
sung by the birds of Holiness announcing His 
coming and Appearance in the great Day of Res- 
urrection. To this we have called attention in our 
former treatises, and will speak of them in our 
future interpretations, God willing. 



The Fifth Introduction. 

Treating of the Causes which Led People to Deny 
the Manifestations of God in the Days of their 
Appearance. 

O ye people of Beha, who have taken hold of a 
''Strong Handle which shall not be broken," as 
ye have been promised by our Lord the El-Abha! 
Now that ye understand the proofs and arguments 
which demonstrate the truth of the Manifestations 
of the Command of God in general, and especially 
are illumined by the perfect proof of this holy 
Cause, know ye (may God illumine your inward 
sight, cause you to devote your wishes and hopes 
to the service of all the world, and irradiate your 
hearts and minds with the light of pure love for 
humanity!), that although the Manifestations of 
God were endowed with clear evidences and argu- 
ments; although they manifested great power and 
were distinguished from ordinary people in their 
character and deeds, yet we find that people denied 
them in the days of their appearance, and even 
their own kindred and race contradicted them. 
These people sacrificed their property in order to 
antagonize the Manifestations; endured afflictions 
and calamities in contradicting them; fabricated lies 
and calumnies to injure them; strove to make the 
hearts of people hate them; and availed themselves 
of every artifice to raise the wrath of the ignorant 
against them. All this opposition, contradiction 

287 



288 The Fifth Introduction. 

and obstinacy resulted from the doubts which had 
imbued their minds, obscured their insight, blinded 
their hearts and darkened their reason. Thus they 
supposed themselves right in this prejudice and 
opposition, without investigating or discussing the 
matter. It never occurred to them that they might 
be mistaken and led astray. Nay, rather, they were 
convinced that their views were sound, and so 
firmly did they trust in the correctness of their 
opinions when falsely denying the Messenger of 
God, that they prayed God, saying: — "O God, if 
this be the truth from Thee, rain down stones upon 
us from Heaven. ,, For it is unreasonable to think 
that a sane man would endanger his safety and be 
hostile to himself by falsely denying a prophet, if 
he was convinced of the authenticity of that 
prophet's claim and the validity of His mission. 
This would be foolishly seeking his own destruc- 
tion. How much more unreasonable then, would 
it be to believe that a great people could have 
acted thus during long periods. All this was there- 
fore a result of the doubts which possessed their 
minds and prevented their eyes from seeing. The 
clearest proof of the effect of these doubts is that 
the Hebrew nation has continued for a period ex- 
ceeding 1800 years, to preserve its own beliefs and 
falsely deny our Lord Jesus Christ. During this 
long period, the Jews have endured, both in the 
East and West, the most violent persecutions, such 
as death, execration, humiliation and degradation, 
without forsaking their false beliefs, or allying 
themselves with the Christian Church, except 



The Fifth Introduction. 289 

through force, compulsion or other base means. 
During this time, not a day has passed without 
their stretching forth hands of supplication toward 
God the Exalted, begging Him with sighs and 
tears for the Manifestation of the Messiah, and be- 
seeching the approach of the day of His advent. 
Is not this caused by their clinging to the doubts 
which were firmly imbedded in their hearts and 
minds? Unquestionably this is the effect of these 
doubts upon their beliefs and tendencies. 

Know, O ye just ones! These above-mentioned 
doubts, which have darkened the regions of the 
earth with their dust, and the gloomy darkness of 
which has obscured the sight of nations, are not 
the same in every individual. Verily, a shrewd 
mind finds every contradictor possessing his own 
peculiar doubt or objection; an invention and fabri- 
cation of his imagination, whereby he rejects the 
Manifestation of the Command of God. Even 
great philosophers and writers of the present day 
have not refrained from opposing this Manifesta- 
tion of God, on account of sins formerly committed 
by others against humanity; and by considering the 
wars and dissensions among different sects in for- 
mer centuries, as decisive arguments against the 
Behais.* Such intelligent men may be likened to 
those who would propose to persecute and murder 
all children born in their days, simply because a 

•An article appeared in the newspaper "The Caucasus" of Tiflis 
(Russia) 1893, in which its author gave a translation of the Tablet of 
"Ishrakat" revealed by Beha-Ullah, and praised the teachings of Beha- 
ism; but warned people against it. Because, he said, every religious 
movement had ended in strife and bloodshed; then citing Lutheranism 
and other examples. 



290 The Fifth Introduction. 

great number of children who were formerly born, 
became murderers, thieves and brigands when they 
grew up. Or like unto those who would sanction 
the closing of schools and barring the way of edu- 
cation, because a great many students became 
heretics and innovators, after they advanced in 
knowledge and study. Truly, how evil and abor- 
tive is this philosophy, in its theory and conclusion! 

It may be said that doubts are as numerous as 
the deniers, for they cannot be confined to a regu- 
lar order. Verily, every contradictor when hear- 
ing the call of one who invites people unto God, 
endeavors to refute Him by clinging to a certain 
imaginary and individual suspicion or doubt, which 
has no connection with the real proof and argu- 
ment. For the real proof and argument is the 
authoritative standard by which to distinguish be- 
tween truth and falsehood, and to recognize a 
prophet. It is not that he should conform with 
the discordant desires and contradictory inclina- 
tions of individuals. Yet doubts may be, accord- 
ing to their nature, classified into four great divi- 
sions, each of which may be regarded by a man of 
wisdom and perception, as being a universal pesti- 
lence for the destruction of communities and peo- 
ples. Doubt is a prevalent sickness, attacking all 
religions and creeds. 

The First Division comprises the doubts which 
come to a man because of his ignorance of the real 
proof and argument. For a real proof leads a 
seeker and investigator toward his aim, and is like 
unto a road by which a traveller reaches his destina- 



The Fifth Introduction. 291 

tion. So a mistaken proof prevents a man appre- 
hending the real fact, and is a wrong road which 
leads a traveller astray. Thus the science of logic 
and syllogism was founded, and rules for formulat- 
ing correct conclusions were laid down, in order 
to protect men of perception as much as possible, 
from falling into error in reasoning. By this they 
are prevented from building upon false founda- 
tions, and taking as proofs, things which are not 
proofs, or as conclusions, things which are not con- 
clusions. 

We have previously pointed out that the Egyp- 
tians and Syrians who denied Moses; that the Jews 
and Romans who refused to acknowledge the truth 
of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!), were not 
influenced by personal enmity or selfish prejudices. 
That is to say, they did not recognize the truth of 
Christ and Moses, and at the same time deny them. 
These nations were not so foolish and distracted 
as to deliberately deny these Manifestations, and 
thereby expose themselves and their families to the 
anger and wrath of God. Nay, they rejected and 
opposed Christ and Moses on account of their con- 
viction of the falsehood of their Mission and Word. 
This was a result of illogical reasoning, which pre- 
vented them from arriving at a sound conclusion, 
as we have mentioned above. For they took as 
proofs things which were not proofs, and accepted 
as arguments things which were not arguments. 
Thus they drew wrong conclusions. The door of 
mistaken proofs through which nations have en- 
tered into denial of the Day-springs of the Lights 



292 The Fifth Introduction. 

of God, is very wide. We find that every nation, 
nay, rather, every individual has invented a particu- 
lar doubt, through which the Manifestations of 
God have been denied. For instance, one rejects 
Moses because of His war and pillage; another re- 
jects Mohammed on account of His marriage and 
polygamy, and because, like Moses, He has taken 
part in warfare and battles. The Hindoos and 
Brahamans reject Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, 
because they allowed people to eat meat; esteem- 
ing slaughtering and eating animals as one of the 
most pernicious habits, and contrary to the prin- 
ciple and character of humanity. They believe 
that this habit hardens the heart, darkens the mind 
and conscience, leads men to commit abominable 
acts and become like the beasts themselves. 

One reason the Jews gave for rejecting Christ, 
was His being a native of Galilee and Samaria; an- 
other was His eating and drinking. Their denial 
also resulted from the fact that some regarded such 
things as abstinence from war, celibacy, vegetarian- 
ism, a prophet's birthplace, and his eating and 
drinking, as proofs for distinguishing between the 
truth or falsehood of a Manifestation. These 
things could not be an indication of the validity of 
a mission inasmuch as there is no connection be- 
tween the premises and conclusion. 

What chiefly led nations into error, was their 
persistence in demanding miracles and asking in- 
tricate philosophical questions, in order to test the 
holy Manifestations and distinguish them from im- 
postors. These two points have, since the founda- 




The Fifth Introduction. 293 

tion of the world, been stretched as a snare before 
the intelligent men of learning, and laid as a pitfall 
into which great philosophers and wise men have 
plunged. For they consider it a necessity that the 
Manifestations of God should be able to do and 
know all things. They have imagined the demand- 
ing of wonders, and solving of abstruse questions 
to be the best means of knowing false prophets 
from true ones. Those who have considered them- 
selves wise, deemed it proper to demand from one 
claiming a Divine Mission, absurd and impracti- 
cable inventions of their individual thoughts and 
imaginations, such as soaring in the air, causing 
trees to speak, drying up seas, changing day into 
night, transforming a rod into a serpent, quicken- 
ing the dead, causing rocks to sing, mountains to 
dance, and other absurdities contrary to the laws 
of Nature. Even the most learned among them 
believed it right to test the prophets by abstruse 
philosophical points, which they thought con- 
cerned real facts. Such was the question they 
asked Christ concerning the meaning of resurrec- 
tion (Matt. 22.). Similarly they questioned Mo- 
hammed about the "two-horned," the "crescent," 
and the "Spirit" (see the Koran) ; and asked the 
Bab concerning the rapidity or slowness of the 
revolution of the heavens. But these tempters 
never reflected whether the solving of such ques- 
tions could have any connection with or could be 
proof of the validity of their missions. Had they 
pondered over this point, they would have been 
awakened to the fact that there is not the least 




294 The Fifth Introduction. 

connection between such questions and the mis- 
sion of a Prophet, nor could these things be a 
proof or argument of the truth of His Claim. Had 
they done so they would not have fallen into the 
deep pit of tempting the Lord, which action is pro- 
hibited in the Bible: — "Thou shalt not tempt the 
Lord thy God." 

As to the miracles: We have already pointed 
out when explaining the proofs and arguments, 
that these do not bear any primary indication of 
the truth of a prophetic claim. Likewise we have 
shown by clear and decisive argument, that there 
is no relation or connection between prophethood 
and the power of producing impossibilities. 
Therefore miracles are to be considered as second- 
ary and auxiliary proofs, and not primary and real 
proofs. 

To ask scientific questions as a test for distin- 
guishing between the truth and falsehood of a 
Manifestation of God, is even more foolish than 
demanding miracles; for the purpose of philosophy 
and science is only to lead man toward the truth 
of things, and to the knowledge of causes, reasons 
and effects. It is an indisputable fact to the pos- 
sessors of brilliant minds, that the unknown is con- 
stantly more than the known, and the latter, in 
comparison with the former, is as a drop compared 
to a vast sea. As it is said: — "Man is not accounted 
as learned except when he knows his own igno- 
rance." Therefore, who can claim to know the 
realities and causes of all things, that he should 
presume to be able to test the knowledge of the 



The Fifth Introduction. 295 

Manifestations of the All-Knowing God? Verily, 
the Prophets and the Manifestations of God are 
sent to make people of one accord, guide them 
to that which leads to their happiness and continu- 
ance, and cause them to relinquish that which may 
conduce to their ruin and destruction. These 
heavenly messengers are not sent as astronomers, 
mathematicians, philosophers, naturalists or histo- 
rians. Should the prophets wish to dispute the 
philosophical views, historical opinions, and scien- 
tific theories of people, this would be contrary to 
their real mission, which is the guidance and unifi- 
cation of mankind. By this the meetings for re- 
ligion and guidance would be changed into gather- 
ings for scientific debate. Have not the theories 
of the Greek philosophers, ancient Chaldeans, the 
Arabs and Modern Persians proven false upon cer- 
tain points, which they considered as indisputable 
facts? Such ideas as the limited dimensions of the 
Universe, the simplicity of the four elements, and 
similar ideas, which we do not treat of in this place, 
have been disproved and dismissed by modern 
science. Should the Prophets desire to dispute 
these points which were thought to be undeniable 
truths, would it not end in strife and wrangling? 
Would not the people use this as an excuse to deny 
and contradict them? Would not this make their 
mission abortive and useless? Mosheim has stated 
in his "Church History," that in the 8th Century, 
Boniface, the delegate of the Germans, persecuted 
the priest Virgilius, in Bavaria, for maintaining 
that the earth was spherical, and that, consequent- 



296 The Fifth Introduction. 

ly, the other side of it was inhabited by people and 
illuminated by the sun and moon. Boniface looked 
upon this as a gross heresy. So he accused the man 
before the Pope, who actually excommunicated 
him as a heretic. Likewise, the story of the impris- 
onment of Galileo, the Italian, by command of the 
Pope, is known to all. When, in the 17th century, 
Galileo arose, affirmed the correctness of the 
Copernican theory, maintained that the sun is the 
center of our system, and that the earth revolves 
around it, his opinion was rejected by everybody. 
He was immediately arrested under the terrible In- 
quisition, imprisoned, and in danger of being burnt 
alive. During almost 18 centuries, philosophers 
and scholars, as well as the public, had held the 
Ptolemian System of Astronomy. This theory 
which prevailed from the time of Ptolemy, who 
lectured in the College of Alexandria, about 130 
years before Christ, and which continued down to 
the rise of Galileo, asserted that the earth was the 
center of the Universe, and that the sun and the 
other planets revolved around it. 

The discussions* between Khosrow Perviz (a 
Persian King contemporary with Mohammed, and 
the son of Anoshirwan) and his favorite, Sapor, the 
philosopher, — which discussion is contained in the 
"five books" of Nezami Ganjawy, one of the great 
poets and philosophers of the 6th century of Islam, 
— concerned the Copernican and Ptolemian sys- 
tems. 



•In this discussion, Khosrow held to the Copernican system, while 
the favorite upheld the Ptolemian, thus refuting the King. Hence, even 
in those days, some existed who doubted the Ptolemian and held to the 
Copernican system. 



The Fifth Introduction. 297 

The people believed the Ptolemian theory to be 
a proven fact confirmed by the evidence of sciences; 
and any one who denied this, would be contradicted 
and considered insane. Even the "First Point" 
has not deemed it advisable to write anything upon 
this subject beyond the following statement con- 
tained in the "Holy Beyan": — 

"Verily, astronomical facts are not as the doctors 
of our time have supposed them to be." For, at 
the time of the revelation of "the Beyan," the 
Copernican system was unknown to the Persians, 
and the theories of European men of learning had / 
not been introduced into Persia. 

From this explanation, it is clearly shown that 
we are not justified in relying upon scientific ques- 
tions for proving the Divine Manifestations. For 
it is an indisputable fact that the world is in a state 
of progression, and progression means the ad- 
vancement of learning and inventions, the increase 
of discovery, and expansion of the circle of knowl- 
edge. Therefore, during the progress of the world, 
many mistakes and errors of human opinion have 
been laid bare. Just as the mistaken theories of 
the ancient philosophers are brought to light, so 
also the errors of present philosophers will appear 
in their due time; in order that the meaning of 
progress may be realized, and the truth of origin 
and creation may become manifest. The vanity 
of the proofs demanded in former days from the 
Prophets, will appear, and the meaning of the fol- 
lowing saying of Mohammed will be shown: — 
"We Prophets were sent to talk to the people ac- 
cording to the measure of their minds." 



298 The Fifth Introduction. 

Verily, the Prophets, as already mentioned, not- 
withstanding their all-pervading Spirit, and their 
knowledge of that which was and will be, were 
sent and appointed for the spiritual guidance of 
people, and to bring them into accord. So they 
did not consider the people's learning and acquired 
knowledge, of importance, and left discoveries and 
inventions to their proper course of advancement 
in science and civilization. 

It is now clearly proven that tempting the Man- 
ifestations of God by requiring signs and miracles, 
or asking them scientific questions, is the greatest 
pit into which nations have fallen. The fatal dan- 
ger of their reliance upon false proofs and mis- 
taken reasoning is therefore convincingly shown. 

To this point, Paul the Apostle refers in the first 
Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. i., vs. 22, 23: — 
"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek 
after wisdom (philosophy) : but we preach Christ 
crucified; unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and 
unto the Greek foolishness." Also: Coloss., ch. ii., 
v. 8: — "Beware lest any man spoil you through 
philosophy and vain deceit." 

When the Cause of Christ, after His Ascension 
to the Supreme Concourse, was spread by His 
disciples, the Jews considered themselves the heirs 
of the Prophets and the custodians of their writ- 
ings and well-known miracles. They supposed 
that the best way by which to know the truth of 
Christ's Mission, was to test His disciples by the 
texts of Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and 
other Israelitish prophets. On the other hand, 



The Fifth Introduction. 299 

the Greeks regarded themselves as being the heirs 
of great philosophers, the possessors of knowledge 
and learning, the discoverers of inventions and sci- 
ences. They imagined that the best means for 
understanding the truth of Christ's Mission was 
to test the upholders thereof, by scientific ques- 
tions and philosophical theories which had been 
laid down by their great philosophers and leaders, 
such as Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Hippoc- 
rates, Socrates, and others, in whom they gloried 
and the fame of whose knowledge and wisdom is 
spread forever throughout the world. But that 
elect Apostle Paul sounded a warning, that what 
the Jews and Greeks demanded were as stumbling- 
blocks, foolishness and error. Paul taught that 
the greatest power and proof lay in the Divine 
Word received from the blessed Beauty of Christ, 
the truth of which was testified to by his stead- 
fastness in enduring afflictions, and by the sacrifice 
of His pure Life for the salvation of the world. 

Consider (may God assist you through the Spirit 
of intelligence !) how the Jews have suffered tribu- 
lations for 19 centuries. They will never be awak- 
ened and restored to their glory and honor except 
by acknowledging the truth of Christ under the 
banner of the covenant of our Lord El-Abha, and 
turning unto the Day-Spring of the Lights of His 
Testament. 

As to the Greek philosophers, the falsity of their 
systems, and their errors in science and theology, 
have been shown since the 17th century, by the in- 
tellectual investigations of American and Euro- 



300 The Fifth Introduction. 

pean men of learning. The 19th verse of the 
above-mentioned chapter refers to this fact: "I will 
destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence 
of the prudent will I reject." 

If with shrewd intelligences we look into the 
history of religions, we find that the old Pagan 
philosophy of Greece was the chief thing which de- 
teriorated both Christianity and Islam. The Pla- 
tonic philosophy created monkhood in Christian- 
ity and resulted in the corrupt practices of Sufism 
in Islam. This philosophy gave rise to certain 
classes of monks who afflicted Europe with great 
disasters during many centuries. The Aristote- 
lian philosophy resulted in agnostic beliefs, which, 
during every century, armed thousands of men in 
combat against the Divine Religions, and denial 
of every heavenly law. 

There are also many other calamities which we 
have not mentioned ; all of them proceeding from 
mistaking the way, and from wrong methods of 
reasoning. 

Verily, God is the Protector of all things ! 

The Second Division is that which refers to the 
subject of "Return." The adherents of every one 
of the extant religions believe in and expect the 
return of a definite person or persons, for the 
spread of their religion and the continuance of 
their law. Thus the Christians are awaiting the 
return of our Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!), 
faithfully believing that He will, without doubt, 
descend from heaven. The Jews expect the ap- 
pearance of Elias the Prophet, before the Manifes- 



The Fifth Introduction. 301 

tation of the Promised Lord and His rise in the 
appointed day. Likewise, among- the Moslem na- 
tions, the Sunnites believe in the descent of Jesus 
Christ subsequent to the appearance of the Mahdi 
(Precursor); and the Shi-ites, followers of "the 
Church of the twelve," hold primarily the return 
of the Mahdi. This Mahdi they believe to be 
Mohammed, the son of Hassan-El-Askari, who dis- 
appeared in the year 260 A. H., and who was the 
twelfth of the Imams of Mohammed's household. 
Secondly, they believe that after the appearance of 
the Mahdi, the martyred Hussein, son of Ali the 
third Imam, will return. This return they speak 
of as the "Husseynite Manifestation." As to the 
Zoroastrians ; they await the return of the famous 
Persian King of the dynasty of Keyan, erroneously 
interpreted by some of the European historians to 
be Cyrus. He, they believe, will return during the 
days of the promised Manifestation whom they 
look for at the "end of the time," and who will 
come from Persia to raise the dead and unify re- 
ligions. They also await the return of certain 
others, whose names, and the manner of their 
coming we do not mention, for lack of space. This 
expectation of a return is found generally in all 
the other religions and creeds, as is known to 
every student of religious systems. This brief ac- 
count shows that the "Return" of their Prophets 
is one of the important subjects in which the fol- 
lowers of religions are entangled, and by reason of 
which they have falsely denied and turned away 
from the Manifestations of the Command of God, 
during all ages. 






302 The Fifth Introduction. 

In the 8th century of Islam, the well-known 
historian, Ebn-Kaldoon Magreli arose and denied 
that the Mahdi would appear. This he set forth 
in his great work, and some of the possessors of 
weak minds and darkened consciences followed 
his opinion, so that through them there was ful- 
filled that which was prophesied by the Imams in 
the following tradition : — 

"Verily, the Mahdi shall rise at the time of dis- 
appointment and despair." That is, when heed- 
less souls have given up hope of his appearance, 
and deny the prophecies in connection with his 
rise, and have despaired of the coming of the one 
who is to save them from the day of calamities and 
afflictions, He will appear. 

Similarly, a large number among the Christians 
denied the return of Christ in the flesh, and trans- 
posed the clear prophecies given concerning His 
Coming and Manifestation. They interpreted 
them to mean the prevalence of His religion and 
of His followers ; which interpretation by no means 
conforms with the said prophecies. Thus what 
was said by the elect Apostle Peter, was fulfilled 
in them (II. Epistle, ch. ii., vs. i, 2: — "But there 
were false prophets also among the people, even 
as there shall be false teachers among you, who 
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even de- 
nying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon 
themselves swift destruction. And many shall fol- 
low their pernicious ways ; by reason of whom the 
way of truth shall be evil spoken of"; and so on 
till the end of the chapter. But we ask the men of 



The Fifth Introduction. 3°3 

perception to reflect upon and look deeply into 
the contents of this chapter. Verily, that elect 
Apostle has foreshadowed with clearest explana- 
tion and most eloquent style, all similar events 
which occurred in Christianity during the last few 
centuries. These prophecies he uttered in detail, 
and this very fact proves a pure and sacred spirit 
in him; comprehension and cognizance of future 
events in their full particulars. 

When a people hold as an established fact that, 
in spite of spiritual prophecies, Christ shall not 
come from heaven ; and when this idea becomes a 
general and approved belief, they will of necessity 
deny Him in His Manifestation, and speak evil of 
His way. Thus there will be fulfilled in them that 
which was said by the great Apostle: — "Even 
denying the Lord that bought them .... 
by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil 
spoken of." This was fully realized in this most 
brilliant age of El-Abba, and the truth of this 
prophecy is now perfectly evident. 

Likewise, it is said in the same Epistle (ch. iii., v. 
34): — "Knowing this first, that there shall come 
in the last days scoffers, walking after their own 
lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His 
coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things 
continue as they were from the beginning of crea- 
tion" ; so on till the end of the chapter. This pas- 
sage is a proof of the above-mentioned fact ; that 
a great number would deny the coming of our 
Lord Christ (Glory be to Him!). Therefore it is 
not surprising that many people deny His coming 



3°4 The Fifth Introduction. 

and misinterpret prophecies which clearly point to 
His Advent. This whole chapter also contains 
jewels of lofty and hidden meanings ; which, God 
willing, we will clearly interpret in the proper 
place. 

What is necessary to be noticed is, that just as 
the false argument of those who deny the coming 
of Christ in the flesh, caused doubts in beclouded 
hearts, on the other hand it created an equal 
amount of knowledge and faith in pure hearts, and 
steadfastness in chaste souls. For there is no 
stronger and clearer argument to prove the au- 
thenticity of the source of these prophecies, and 
their essential purport, — which is the descent of 
the Spirit of God (Christ) in the body of man, — 
than their fulfillment after the lapse of centuries 
and cycles. The prophecies of that elect apostle 
were made at a time in which the Christians had 
not yet any congregation or society to render 
them worthy of description by the writers and his- 
torians. Yet as they concerned events which 
have occurred and are fulfilled after the lapse of 
nineteen centuries, we have absolute and strongest 
proof that they were heavenly prophecies and pre- 
dictions inspired by Divine Power. 

The Third Division pertains to the signs and 
tokens revealed in the Heavenly Books. We 
have already mentioned that all the prophets or 
founders of religions have, without exception, as- 
signed a part of their Books to explaining the 
coming of the Day of God, and announcing the 
appearance of the Face of God. Likewise they 



The Fifth Introduction. 3°5 

have mentioned certain signs and tokens concern- 
ing this great Manifestation, and have described 
certain events and occurrences about the day of 
Its appearance. Some of their announcements have 
been couched in symbols and allegories, and some 
are explicitly stated, according to the language of 
every age and cycle. Such symbolical signs 
are the "darkening of the sun and moon," "rend- 
ing of the heavens," "falling of stars," "renewal of 
heaven and earth," "rise of the dead," "the pass- 
ing away of former things," and other similar 
events. These shall be set forth in detail, in the 
course of our treatises, in order that the students 
of the Holy Books will understand, and the ad- 
herents of laws and religions may discuss them. 
Such signs undoubtedly need to be accepted, but 
the doctors of every religion, in understanding and 
apprehending their meanings, have relied upon 
their own conceptions. Thus they have inter- 
preted and described them in their books, accord- 
ing to their exoteric literal sense. They have also 
taught them to the people in their lectures, and 
inculcated them in their schools and congrega- 
tions until these literal meanings have seemed 
incontrovertible facts and indisputable points nec- 
essary to religious beliefs. These ideas have be- 
come still more firmly rooted in hearts and mem- 
ories, because they have been handed down as a 
heritage for long periods. Whenever a Divine 
Sun dawned forth from the Heaven of the Com- 
mand of God, and the spirit of the Invisible World 
shone forth from any of the Holy Dawning-places, 



306 The Fifth Introduction. 

He was denied by nations and contradicted by- 
peoples, because the aforesaid prophecies were 
not fulfilled according to the ideas of the people 
and the signs did not appear as they expected 
them. In other words, not one of the great 
prophets ever appeared, and not one of the holy 
souls ever arose to found a religion by the Com- 
mand of God, except these very signs and tokens 
were the first things through which the nations de- 
nied Him. For instance, what first caused the 
Jews to deny Christ was, that they held that there 
are certain signs and tokens, confirmed and clearly 
written in the Book concerning the coming of the 
Messiah, which were not then realized; and that 
the non-fulfillment thereof necessarily disproved 
the truth of Christ's claim. When Jesus appeared, 
they said: — "Where is the darkness of the sun"? 
"Where is the changing of the moon into blood" ? 
"Where is the falling of stars" ? "When did the 
wolf dwell with the lamb, and the lion eat straw 
as an ox"? "When did the child put his hand in 
the adder's hole, as is clearly spoken of by Isaiah" ? 
"Where is the changing of the heaven into brass, 
the earth into iron, and the rain into dust, as was 
prophesied by Moses" ? "Where is the 'new Cove- 
nant that the Lord will make with all the Israelit- 
ish tribes' ; 'assembling of them together from the 
north, south, east and west, after their scattering 
and division' ; 'honoring them after their degrada- 
tion and fall' ; 'planting them after their extirpa- 
tion' " ? "Where is the 'gathering which shall 
never be dispersed,' the 'honor which shall never 



The Fifth Introduction. 3°7 

change/ and the 'planting which shall never be up- 
rooted' " ? "Where did the Lord 'restore Zion' ; a 
restoration and building 'which shall never be de- 
stroyed/ as was prophesied by Jeremiah"? "Did 
all these events occur during the manifestation of 
Jesus, or has God deceived His servants by saying 
such things''? "Be this far from the Might of His 
Glory and the exaltation of His Beneficence and 
Bounty"! "Therefore all these prophecies must 
needs come to pass and these promises be fulfilled, 
even though many centuries and ages might first 
elapse" ! 

In like manner did the Christian repudiate the 
founder of Islam; the Moslems deny the "First 
Point," and the people of Beyan contradict the 
Beauty of El-Abha. The most astonishing fact to 
be noticed, is that each one of the above-men- 
tioned peoples followed the example of the other, 
and walked in the highway of the same error. 
Nor did any one of them reflect upon the purify- 
ing and cleansing tests, the hard trials and afflic- 
tions which befell the adherents of former religions. 
Had they done so, they might have avoided the 
precipice, refrained from what destroyed other 
nations, and been rightly directed toward their 
Lord. This explanation proves that the expecta- 
tion of the fulfillment of these signs, is one of the 
greatest tests which has prevented bygone nations 
from responding to the Divine Messenger, during 
all centuries and cycles. 

The Fourth Division concerns the idea that 
ordinances are perpetual, and that religions can- 



308 The Fifth Introduction. 

not be changed. There are none of the adher- 
ents of any of the extant religions and sects who do 
not believe that all of their laws, regulations, cus- 
toms and ceremonies are everlasting, and that it is 
not allowable to change any of their rules and 
ordinances. For instance, we find the believers 
in the Greek Church regard theirs to be the per- 
manent religion and sole law announced by Christ 
to the people of the world. The Catholics con- 
sider their own sect similarly permanent and un- 
changeable. So likewise the Protestants and 
other smaller sects, such as Nestorians, etc., 
maintain their own way to be the truth. Among 
the Mohammedans, the Sunnites and Haneefites 
believe that when Christ shall descend from 
heaven, He will judge according to the laws 
of Haneefa. Yet the Shi'ites, Malekis, and 
Hambalis protest against this monopoly of the 
Haneefites, and each one of these sects claims that 
when Christ descends, He will judge people ac- 
cording to their respective doctrines. The Shi- 
'ites of the "Church of the twelve, ,, go far beyond 
the followers of other sects and creeds, in this 
claim. They regard themselves as the nearest to 
the Mahdi (Precursor), and to the Christ; conse- 
quently their expectation of the appearance is 
greater than that of others. The divines of this 
sect never allow any of their laws and customs to 
be changed. They persistently refuse to alter any 
of their regulations or ceremonies, such as repre- 
sentations of the lives of the martyrs, the wound- 
ing of their heads, and beating upon their breasts, 



The Fifth Introduction. 3°9 

which rites they perform in their gatherings and 
meeting-places. They hold that the Mahdi, who 
will arise after the Command of God, and the 
Spirit of God (Christ), when He descends from 
Heaven, must both of necessity follow their opin- 
ions and regulations in regard to religion. This 
is the case with all other creeds and sects branched 
from the Buddhist, Brahaman, Sabean and Zoro- 
astrian religions; likewise many others which we 
do not mention in this brief account. Each one 
believes his own sect to be the way of salvation, 
the announcement and promulgation of which is 
incumbent upon the One who appears through the 
Command of God. As this is the case with sects 
and their doctrines and ordinances, notwithstand- 
ing their unimportance in comparison with the be- 
liefs and laws of religious systems, we need not be 
astonished to find that the Jews preserve their be- 
liefs, or that Christians, Moslems, Zoroastrians, 
Buddhists, Brahamans and Sabeans hold to the 
principles of their religions, and consider their 
original laws obligatory and permanent necessities. 
When we find a people considering it a most im- 
portant necessity to maintain and preserve its sec- 
ondary and dogmatic tenets, we need not wonder 
to see it sacrificing everything pertaining to this 
life and the life to come, in order to sustain its prin- 
cipal religious beliefs. Therefore we can realize 
from this point of view, the greatness of the Di- 
vine Power given to the Manifestations of the 
Command of God; who have changed former re- 
ligions and separated nations from their beliefs. 



3io The Fifth Introduction. 

This we have previously explained. But those 
who were heedless of this manifest Power and 
erred from the right Path, became bewildered in 
the gloomy darkness, were dispersed in the des- 
erts of imaginations and underwent great calami- 
ties. The purpose of this was that they might 
perchance be directed to the Dawning-place of this 
Power and to the Day-Spring of its lights. God in 
His mercy intended that they might through suf- 
fering, be blest by its inspiration, illumined by its 
radiance, and enkindled by its fire ; that they might 
ultimately find guidance, spirituality and fragrance 
in the Garden of delight, and return to the Shelter 
of the Mercy of their Lord, the Clement, the Mer- 
ciful. 

Consequently, it is proven that belief in the un- 
changeableness of laws and religions is one of the 
great calamities which has descended upon bygone 
nations, and the most disastrous influence which 
led to their ruin and destruction. Even if they 
found it easy to relinquish their belief regarding 
the subject of "Return," or other signs, yet they 
would never sanction changing their religious or- 
dinances, or altering any of their laws. 



(In the succeeding edition the author intends to 
continue the Proof and Elucidation of the Behai 
Religion, from this point). 



